Survivor: Dewford Islands
by Gomamon
Summary: Sixteen castaways are about to begin an adventure of a lifetime. For thirty nine days, they will be stranded on the islands of Dewford with a minimal of protection and assistance against the harsh environment. Who will be the Sole Survivor?
1. Episode 1: May Not Survive

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**   
**By: Gomamon**

Sixteen castaways are about to begin an adventure of a lifetime. For thirty nine days, they will be stranded on the islands of Dewford with a minimal of protection and assistance against the harsh environment. They must work together to find food and build shelter while competing against each other for one million dollars. Every three days, there will be a tribal council meeting, where one contestant will be voted off the island. One person will outwit, outplay, and outlast fifteen others. Who is the Sole Survivor? 

**Episode One: May Not Survive**

**Gorebyss: **_ CASEY - CASSIDY - DELIA - MAY - MIMI - RIKA - SUZIE - ZOE_

**Huntail: **_ BROCK - BUTCH - DREW - JAMES- JP - TAKATO - TAKUYA - TK_

A young bearded man stood barefoot in the sand, gazing dreamily ahead at the endless stretches of water. Occasionally a flock of Spheal, the bubbly and round seal Pokemon, could be seen riding merrily along the gentle ocean waves. The sun was positioned high above in the blue cloudless sky, sending warm rays of sunshine upon the beach. This was one of the many deserted islands of Dewford, surrounded by large bodies of water, heavy forests, and hidden caves. This would be the place where sixteen castaways will live in for the next thirty nine days. 

Professor Birch had always been an outdoorsy guy, and his love for nature was the significant trait that separated him from his other book smart colleagues. Naturally, he was the perfect candidate when asked to host the hit reality TV show Survivor. This survival game would take place in the isolated Dewford Islands, rich in wildlife and pleasant in weather. Professor Birch will take part in hosting many upcoming challenges, moderating intense tribal councils, and snuffing all the players' torches except one. Only the eventual winner will have the torch with a flame that lives eternally. 

Far away from any civilisation and stripped of all urban technology, these sixteen castaways must learn to adapt to the environment as well as each other. Every three days, a tribal council will be held where one castaway is exiled from the islands. On the thirty ninth day, it is the responsibility for a jury of seven to crown a deserving winner, who will receive the grand prize of one million dollars. 

That person will be labeled as the Sole Survivor… 

- - - 

** DAY 1**

Takato Matsuki held an oar in his clumsy hands, but he had no idea what to do. 

Here he was on a boat with seven strangers in the middle of Dewford Ocean, and he was already struggling with the harsh survival aspects of the game. 

This wasn't good. 

Sheepishly, he dipped his oar into the water and tried his best to move it in a rotation. It was a poor imitation of what the tanned man beside him was doing. Takato studied him carefully. That man was using his muscular hands to move the oar with an utmost ease, looking as if he had been doing this for years. _What was his name again? _Takato thought to himself. _Brad? Ben? Brock?_

_ WHACK!_

"Eek!" Takato cried. He had raised his oar too high and accidentally hit the man sitting in front of him. The green haired man turned towards him with an angry scowl. 

"Watch what you're doing with the oar, kid! You're going to kill someone with that!" He angrily snapped at Takato. Takato mumbled a quick apology, not wanting to make any enemies on the first day of the game. But the man just scoffed and turned around. 

Takato certainly remembered _ his_ name. He was Butch, a member of the infamous criminal gang Team Rocket. How a shady character like Butch got on the show was the big mystery hovering in everybody's minds. 

"We've almost reached the shore. Good job, guys!" Brock exclaimed, flashing a loose grin to his tribe members. With his squinty eyes, he could make out the vague outlines of an island in front of them. 

"Oh yeah, this is going to be awesome!" Takuya added energetically. He exchanged a high-five with Brock. "Look, I can see Professor Birch standing right there!" 

The boat drew closer to the beach, slowing down until it hit the sand. Takuya Kanbara was the first to leap out of the boat and made a perfect landing with both of his feet firmly in the sand. His outfit consisted of a sporty t-shirt and beige shorts, accompanied by a pair of goggles around his forehead. (Takato was equipped with a similar pair of goggles too, but Takuya would be the first to say that his goggles were simply _cooler_). Young and enthusiastic, his dynamic personality easily made him stand out from the rest of the tribe. 

But even though his tribe members barely knew him, his personality was already coming on _too_ strong for some of their liking. 

**_ Drew: _**_ When I first saw Takuya, I knew he wasn't the smartest apple in the tree. He's just your typical frat boy leader who thinks with his gut and not with his brain. Right off the bet, I've already marked him as a harmless non-threat to my strategy._

As he gave his video confessional, a smug smirk slowly spread across his face. He clearly enjoyed what he was about to say next. 

**_ Drew: _**_ Mark my words, all of you. Takuya Kanbara won't win this game._

Following after Takuya, James was the next person off the boat. A few strands of his long blue hair covered his prince-like face, but he brushed them aside, revealing a pair of enigmatic green eyes. He quietly got out of the boat, leaving behind the men without making too big of a fuss. He walked past Takuya without saying anything to him. 

Another Team Rocket member in this game was Butch, who still carried a displeased scowl on his face. He took his hand to rub the back of his head, which still hurt after being struck by the clumsy Takato. It was a heavy blow to his skull, but it probably wouldn't hurt so badly if only Butch had seen it coming. The tall and lanky man didn't hide his dissatisfaction for Takato as he shot a spiteful glare at the little boy before he left the boat. 

JP was the next person to depart. His chunky frame was still evident even under the baggy blue jumpsuit that he wore. His lack of physical fitness looked unfavourable when compared to the rest of the slim and athletic tribe members, but JP would later joke that he would lose all his fat in the next thirty nine days. He immediately ran over to join his Frontier friend Takuya in their hike up the beach. 

Takato jumped off the boat next, but fell awkwardly in the water and landed on his bum. He groaned. Today simply wasn't his day. He could already hear the cruel snickering from some of the men on the beach. A hand from the boat reached out to help the petite boy get up from the shallow water. Takato was not injured, but his brown khaki pants were wet up to his belt buckle. 

"Thanks," said Takato, smiling sheepishly at the blonde in the white floppy hat. He paused, scanning the man's face. "Hey, you look familiar." 

"Oh, I get that a lot," he laughed. 

Nobody recognized who he was yet, but TK Takaishi had already appeared on reality television before. His older brother, Matt Ishida, was a contestant on The Mole. And just like his brother, TK was blessed with a handsome face and an athletic body. He looked like he belonged more on a model's catalogue than on a stranded island. Already, some men were throwing him a few jealous glances, but TK was in good spirits nevertheless. Falling slightly behind from the rest of his tribe, TK ran quickly to catch up with them. 

Drew also stepped out of the boat, smiling. His head was poised high to the sky, as he let his emerald green hair fall behind his shoulders. He ran his hand through his hair, performing one of his trademark hair flips. That and his vivid purple jacket drew a lot of amused looks from the men on his tribe, but Drew seemed too comfortable with himself to care what they thought about him. 

And last to leave the boat was Brock, the Pokemon Breeder from Pewter City. He looked at his tribe, frowning. 

It was a tribe of eight men. There was not a single woman anywhere in sight. 

And that didn't sit well with Brock. 

**_ Brock: _**_ I'm really cheesed that there isn't a single woman on our tribe! What an awful way to begin this game. I was hoping to use my sex appeal to allure the ladies and form an alliance with them, because I know they wouldn't be able to resist a piece of me._

Amazingly enough, the sarcastic Pokemon Breeder was able to keep a straight face saying all of this. 

**_ Brock: _**_ Seriously though, having all the men in one tribe is horrible. There's going to be a lot of egos clashing, that's for sure._

"Where are all the girls? I want some hot chicks on my tribe!" Brock complained jokingly. Walking beside him, Drew offered him a sympathetic smile. 

"If it's a battle of the sexes, then this is going to turn into one messed up testosterone tribe," added Drew, grinning. 

"More like a gigantic sausage fest," laughed Brock. 

- - - 

"Welcome to Dewford Island." Professor Birch said, smiling warmly at the eight men standing in front of him. They were standing on a blue mat and behind them was a matching coloured flag. 

"Since you're the first tribe to arrive, you have the opportunity to select which tribe you're on." He pulled out two buffs from his long laboratory jacket - one is navy blue, the other is crimson red. Both buffs have a huge Survivor logo printed on it. 

"You can be the Gorebyss tribe, who will always wear red…" 

Professor Birch raised his left hand, waving the red buff in the air. 

"Or you could be the Huntail tribe, who will always wear blue." 

As he held up the blue buff, some of the men were nodding their heads in consent. It seemed as though they already knew which tribe they wanted to be. 

"It has to be blue. Look at those blue buffs! They're so _kickass_!" Takuya flashed a boyish grin to his tribe members. 

"Yeah, I'm a big fan of blue." JP chuckled, pointing his thumb to himself. "I look good in blue." 

"We're going to be the Huntail tribe then!" Takuya shouted excitedly. As a quick afterthought, he turned to his tribe members. "Is everybody okay with it?" 

For the most part, nobody had any objections with this decision. Or even if they had, nobody was speaking up. Drew had a mildly amused expression on his face, but he did not say anything. Only TK looked somewhat bothered by this, as indicated by him biting his lips, an annoying childhood habit he couldn't rid of. 

**_ TK: _**_ Takuya is the self-appointed leader of the Huntail tribe. He really isn't, but he acts like he is. When we were choosing tribes, he pretty much made the decision without consulting any of us. I believe in democracy, but Takuya - he's more of a dictator._

"Huntail, each of you, please take a buff." Professor Birch announced, tossing a blue buff to each man. 

Takuya grinned when he received his buff. Underneath the colourful Survivor logo, the word 'Huntail' was printed in black bolded letters. Some of the men were wrapping their buffs around their heads like a bandana. After thinking about it for a while, Takuya decided to tie it tightly to his right bicep. 

"The girls are coming," said Brock happily, pointing his finger at the sea. Sure enough, there was another boat arriving on shore. 

The women began arriving one by one. They marched up to the beach where Professor Birch and the men were waiting for them. 

First to arrive was Suzie Wong, a short girl wearing a hot pink outfit from top to bottom. She happened to be the youngest Survivor in this game, but she also had the biggest and most enthusiastic smile out of everyone. It was a toothy grin that contained so much warmth and innocence, whick even prompted several of the men to smile as well. Suzie waved to Professor Birch, who tossed her a red buff. She clumsily missed the catch and dropped the buff on the ground. 

"Welcome to the island, Suzie. You're part of the Gorebyss tribe," said the professor. 

"Thank you very much!" She said earnestly, in a voice as sweet as can be. 

Rika Nonaka picked up the red buff that was on the ground, returning it back to Suzie. With her auburn brown ponytail and icy blue eyes, she would've looked physically attractive if it wasn't for the disapproving frown on her face. To the men, she looked like an intimidating competitor with her stern and surly face. A careful observer would know that this was Rika's game face. Nobody would be able to read her face, and nobody would be able to figure out what she was thinking about. 

Leading the rest of the women was Cassidy, the third and final Team Rocket member in this game. She walked with a confident stride and wore a smug smile on her angular face. One look at Cassidy and everybody knew that she carried herself in a manner that exerted self-confidence. She showed off her beautiful thighs in a pair of black shorts shorts, which provoked a disapproving scowl from Rika. 

Zoe Orimoto was after Cassidy. As soon as the blonde bombshell arrived on the beach, most of the men couldn't peel their eyes away from her. They were already mesmerized by her stunning beauty. There was no other way to describe her - Zoe Orimoto was _gorgeous_. As she walked towards Professor Birch, Brock whistled, later joined in by several other men. She responded with a modest smile, but not once did she cast a glance at _any_ of the men. 

What they didn't know was that Zoe had a completely different perspective on the men. 

**_ Zoe: _**_ I was a little upset that the men arrived on the island before us. If any of the men underestimate us women, they're going to have another thing coming at them. They're not going to walk all over us like they think they will._

Zoe grinned to the cameras, brushing a lock of golden hair away from her vivacious green eyes. She pumped her fist triumphantly in the air as her cheerleading background emerged out. 

**_ Zoe: _**_ We're going to be strong, we're going to get along, and we're going to prove them all wrong!_

Following after the blonde was Delia Ketchum. Professor Birch flashed a small smile at the single mother of one, who was also the oldest contestant in the game. She was dressed in outdoorsy clothing and her hair was tied in a long modest ponytail. She appeared very youthful and even somewhat attractive for somebody her age. However, Professor Birch couldn't help but notice that Delia looked unnaturally paler than the average healthy person. Perhaps the rocky and uncomfortable boat ride fazed her. 

The next person was somebody who Professor Birch immediately recognized. Her name was May, a perky brunette with big blue eyes. She was an accomplished Pokemon Coordinator, but also the daughter of the famous and prestigious gym leader Norman. As May walked up the beach by herself, she eyed the men with interest, until her eyes met with Brock's. 

_ Hey, Brock! _ May mouthed the words excitedly to her long-time friend. 

Brock acknowledged her presence with a nod, although he was trying to act discreet. Butch raised an eyebrow, his narrow eyes suspiciously followed May until she joined her tribe members. 

Last to arrive was Casey, who looked a bit eccentric in her white Electabuzz team baseball cap. Her grin was slightly lopsided and there was a cute dimple on her left cheek every time she smiled. Despite her oddity, the short and petite girl went unnoticed by most of the men. Professor Birch threw the final buff to Casey, which she caught perfectly with her left hand. Casey then joined the rest of the ladies on the red mat, completing the Gorebyss tribe. 

"Huntail, your tribe is on the left side of this island. Gorebyss, your tribe is on the right side of the island." Professor Birch gestured the directions with his hands, while Mimi shuddered at the thought of walking through the dense and frightening forest. "It's a four mile hike from here and all your needed supplies are waiting for you at camp." He smiled at the sixteen castaways. "It's going to get dark soon, so you'll want to find your camp as quickly as possible. There are a lot of dangerous Pokemon in the forest during night." 

Cassidy smiled, thrusting her chest forward confidently. Gorebyss: a tribe of eight women. _No problem, _ she thought to herself. She could manipulate women easily. Not as well as the men of course, but well enough to have total control over each and every one of them. She took a pitiful glance at the smiling Suzie, already mentally marking her as the first woman voted off of her tribe. 

But what Cassidy didn't prepare for was that the tribes weren't going to stay the same. Contrary to what the contestants believed, it wasn't going to be a battle of the sexes. It wasn't going to be men versus women. It wasn't going to be as easy as they'd like to believe. 

And suddenly, Cassidy's strategy faced its first wrench. 

- - - 

All sixteen castaways were ready to begin their adventures of a lifetime. 

"Just one more thing before you leave…" Professor Birch said this with a coy smile. Some players immediately became suspicious with the professor's stalling. 

"You're going to give us our maps?" Brock hopefully suggested. 

"Actually, I need one person from each tribe who thinks they're natural leaders," said Professor Birch. He was grinning now. "They'll play a major factor in two of the game's twists, so choose wisely." 

**_ Drew: _**_ When Professor Birch said that he needed a natural leader from our tribe, I knew instantly what was going on. Of course, it took a while before some of the...less intelligent tribe members figured it out._

"What's going on?" James whispered, frantically scanning the blank expressions on his tribe members' faces. 

Nobody was able to reply James. The men stood in stunned silence, surprised to have a sudden obstacle thrown in their game this early. They barely knew each other's names! 

"Somebody needs to volunteer," said Brock finally, stating the obvious. 

Again, nobody dared to speak. Butch looked away and whistled innocently, while JP shoved his hands in his pockets, hoping not to bring unnecessary attention upon himself. Judging from the evasive gestures of everyone, it was clear that none of the men wanted to volunteer for the position. 

For a brief second, it looked as if Takato wanted to raise his hand. But then he caught the eye of his friend, Rika Nonaka, from the opposing tribe. She was desperately trying to mouth a message to him without being too obvious. Takato squinted, struggling to decode the message. 

"No, don't go." Rika silently mouthed to him. 

Her intense eyes locked with his, making sure that he knew she was being very serious about this. Why she didn't want him to volunteer, he didn't understand. But the obedient Takato responded back by giving a quick nod of the head. 

"I'll be the leader if nobody wants to volunteer." Takuya said at last, looking up at his nervous tribe members for their reactions. 

As if Takuya said the magic words, the awkward silence was immediately broken and a ripple of words came out of everybody's mouths at once. Essentially, they were all saying the same thing, that they were more than happy Takuya had put himself up as the scapegoat. It was soon agreed in a unanimous decision that he should be the leader. 

**_ Takuya: _**_ I could tell that everybody was clamming up because they were cowards. But I'm not somebody who could easily pass down a leadership position. Who knows, it could be quite fun._

The women of Gorebyss were facing the same dilemma as the men. They were just as nervous about the given circumstances and it was soon clear that there would be no volunteers from this tribe. Nobody wanted to be put into the position of leadership _this_ early. Nobody wanted to be the leader - the target. The two words were almost interchangeable at this point, because with leadership came along with a big target on the leader's back. 

"Wow!" Mimi squealed, sounding a bit nervous. "Umm…so what's happening?" 

"It must be some type of twist," said Rika, with both her hands on her hips. "One of us needs to go see Professor Birch. Anyone wants to volunteer?" 

As expected, no hands were raised. All of the women exchanged hasty glances at each other, unsure how to respond. 

**_ Mimi: _**_ The 'volunteer to be a leader' thing really threw all of us in a loop! I mean, if Professor Birch didn't mention there were going to be two twists involved, it wouldn't have sounded so horrible. I know I didn't want to volunteer, because being a leader this early would be a totally stupid decision._

"Let's draw sticks," suggested Cassidy. "It's only fair that way." 

"Great idea," agreed Delia, nodding her head. 

Very quickly, the women gathered eight branches of various lengths. It was determined that the person who drew the shortest stick will have to take on the much feared role of leadership. Mimi stared fearfully at the eight pieces of sticks in Cassidy's hand. She definitely didn't want to be the one who had to participate in the numerous twists. 

One by one, the women each drew a stick from Cassidy's hand. When all eight of them had one, they cautiously compared lengths with each other. It was evident after a while that May had the shortest tree branch. Mimi and several other women sighed in relief, happy that luck was on their side for the draw. 

"I guess it's me." May smiled uncertainly. She took a deep breath and walked up to Professor Birch, joined quickly by Takuya from the Huntail tribe. 

"Takuya and May, you've volunteered to be the leaders of your respective tribes." Professor Birch began. 

May smiled nervously at the professor. She hoped nobody would notice that her knees were trembling with fear. 

"What's going to happen now is very simple…" The professor smiled. "The two of you..." He gestured his hands to the two leaders, "The two of you are going to switch tribes. Takuya, you'll be leading the Gorebyss tribe. May, you'll be leading the Huntail tribe. Please switch buffs." 

A few gasps escaped from several of the castaway's mouths, May included. Takuya removed the blue buff from his bicep, handing it over to May. She nervously smiled, exchanging it with the red buff in her hand. He put it around his right bicep, exactly where his Huntail buff used to be thirty seconds ago. 

"This means I'm going to be on a tribe with seven women." Takuya laughed. "That's pretty crazy, man!" 

"It's fantastic news for Huntail though!" Brock grinned, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. "Our tribe needs a woman's touch." 

**_ May: _**_ I'd be lying if I said I wasn't nervous when I was up there. I didn't know what was going on at all! For a second there, I thought the professor was just going to vote me off right on the spot!_

"Here are your maps to you rnew camps." Professor Birch handed a map to each leader. "The locations of your campsites should be pretty straight forward." 

Takuya smiled confidently as he took the map from the professor. He didn't even notice that he was holding it upside down. 

"This is the first twist in our game." Professor Birch slyly paused, lingering the suspense of his next sentence. "And if either of you managed to survive to Day 13, you'll partake in the second twist of this game." He smiled, patting both of them on their shoulders. "Trust me…it's going to be a big one." 

May raised her eyebrows in interest. There was going to be a second twist _if_ she managed to stay until Day 13 on her new tribe. But she had too many other things going on in her mind to worry about the thirteenth day. She'd rather focus on the game one day at a time. 

"That's it. I have nothing else for you now." Professor Birch smiled earnestly. "Have a safe trip." 

With that, the two newly formed tribes departed in opposite directions, heading off to their campsites before the sun sets. Takuya looked particularly confident as he led the Gorebyss tribe to the east, holding the crimson red flag high in the air. May, on the other hand, did not seem to share the same enthusiasm. 

**_ May: _**_ It's just my luck that I was stuck with the short end of the stick. I…uh…I am now on a tribe with seven men. Oh my god, you won't understand how awkward camp life is going to be. And if the men really wanted to, they could easily gang up to vote me out just because I'm a girl. I may not survive on my new tribe._

She paused in the middle of her confessional, clenching her fist tightly. There was a navy blue buff wrapped around her right wrist. 

**_ May: _**_ But you know what, I'm not going to give up. It's not the end of the world. It's just the first day of the game and I'm on a new tribe. I'm just going have to work extra hard to prove to them that I'm as strong in the challenges as the men. I won't let any of them look down on me._

May glanced at the buff on her wrist. She could read the word HUNTAIL written in big bolded letters. 

_ Huntail._ May smiled in satisfaction. Huntail was her tribe now. 

- - - 

Butch was walking in front of everybody else in his tribe - the position that he believed the leader should always be in - and guided his tribe through the forest, with the map in his hands. _Supposedly, _he was taking them in the right direction of the camp, but nobody would know for sure since Butch refused to share his map with anybody. ("Those incompetent fools wouldn't be able to navigate their ways out of a paperbag", he snickered). Several times, Brock had tried to investigate on their exact location, only to be turned down angrily by Butch, who claimed that he knew where they were going. 

Because even though May was appointed as the leader of Huntail tribe, it was clear that she had absolutely no zero control over a tribe that was packed with testosterone. Butch would explain in a confessional that May was just too _passive _to be the leader, but it was clear from his dismissive tone and expression that the Team Rocket member didn't respect her at all. In his eyes, May was simply just a _girl_. Butch didn't have high hopes for her abilities. 

No, in a tribe that was oozing with macho testosterone, the role of leadership would have to fall on a man. Huntail needed an efficient leader who could make assertive decisions and navigate their tribe through challenges and victories. 

Butch had been waiting for this moment since they arrived. 

Takuya used to be the dominant leader of Huntail tribe, or at least that was minutes until Professor Birch shook the game up. Butch had been eyeing Takuya's job for a long time, but there was no way he could ever overcome such an aggressive personality in the Frontier. Whether people liked the impulsive hothead or not, it was clear that Takuya would be a force to reckon with. Butch didn't want to cross Takuya and be on his bad side. It was too soon for that. 

But Takuya was now a thing of the past. He was no longer a member of Huntail and he was no longer important to any of the men. And with Takuya's removal meant that Butch's wish could finally be fulfilled. 

He knew it - all along, _he_ was the rightful leader of this tribe! 

**_ Butch: _**_ Our tribe looks like they're filled with a bunch of pushovers. I mean, take a look at guys like JP and Takato. They don't have a frickin' clue what's going on here! It's obvious that they need someone like me to hold their hands and guide them along the way._

Butch smirked arrogantly at the cameras. 

**_ Butch: _**_ From now on, I'll be running this tribe. Those foolish men - and that girl - will all be under my command._

And so, Butch was easily established as the leader of Huntail. The map was now in his hands and it was his responsibility to navigate his tribe through the forests to reach to their campsite. 

Following closely behind the self-acclaimed leader was James. Although he despised Butch as a person outside of the game, James was at least sensible enough to realize his Team Rocket rival was the top dog around Huntail for the time being. It would be a foolish move to anger the leader on his first day. James believed that if he didn't say anything stupid, his tribe members wouldn't have a reason to vote him off. So for the most part of the journey, James said very little, only giving brief answers when spoken to. 

None of the tribe members knew what to make of James yet. He was just the quiet guy with a pair of evasive green eyes. 

"I'd say we've walked about two miles now," said Butch, making a reasonable estimate. He lowered his head to study the map. "We can probably arrive to camp before sunset, but I doubt we'll be able to do anything else." 

"Mm-hmm," mumbled James, nodding his head. 

"I think we should take a small break. You know, find some food before it gets too dark or something," suggested TK, who was walking in the middle of the pack. He placed his hand over his flat stomach. "Besides, I'm kind of hungry." 

"Hear, hear!" JP echoed, grinning. He then buried his face in his hands. "Oh man, how am I ever going to last thirty nine days out here without food?" 

"Without chocolate," added TK with a teasing smile. 

"Dude!" JP nudged TK in the shoulders. The chubby Frontier licked his lips as if he could taste the food in his mouth. "Don't even get me started on chocolate!" 

"Food isn't going to be a problem, guys." Brock grinned. He put his arms on their shoulders and leaned forward, waving an apple in front of their faces. "Look what we found on those trees out there." 

He gestured his thumb over his shoulder, pointing to a nearby tree where Takato was standing under. The petite boy was picking up several apples on the ground that fell from the trees. 

"Apples!" May squealed in delight, sprinting towards Takato. "I love apples!" 

"I suggest we stop now to collect some food for tonight." Brock suggested in an authoritative voice. He looked up at the sky with his squinty eyes. "TK is right. It's going to get dark soon and we might not have time to scout for food if we don't arrive to camp on time." 

He paused, smiling slyly as he turned to look at Butch. Butch was obviously not pleased with the sudden diversion in the middle of his hike. 

"_If _that is okay with you, Butch." Brock added, trying his best to hide his sarcastic tone. 

"Alright." Butch grunted, not sounding very content. "I suppose we could each carry a few apples before continuing on." 

JP and TK exchanged glances with each other before they ran over to join Takato and May by the tree. Butch walked towards them with a cautious demeanour. He didn't look satisfied that they were following under Brock's advice instead of his. 

"Don't take too long. We've to get going before dark!" Butch barked. 

**_ Brock: _**_ I think Butch might be a bit jealous of me because I, uh, kind of stole his thunder today. He instantly stepped up as the leader when Takuya is gone and I give him props for that dash of courage. But to be terribly honest, he's a pretty bad leader. I mean, sure, he knows what he's doing since he has experience before in supervising people…_

Brock chuckled, shaking his heads at the cameras. 

**_ Brock: _**_ But Butch is such a sourpuss! As May would say, he's in a desperate need for a sense of humour. There's always a grey cloud of misery hanging above Butch's head, and he's no fun to be around with._

- - - 

The sun was slowly setting in the west, and while the men were still loafing around in the forest, the women made much more progress in their hike. Like her male counterpart on the other tribe, Cassidy had taken control over the female-dominant Gorebyss. Takuya tried to pitch in a few ideas at first, but he soon realized that women tended to listen to another woman in charge rather than a man. So under Cassidy's efficient navigation skills, they had faced almost no problems with directions during their hike. 

Suzie would be the first to say that the Gorebyss tribe was "_wunnnnnn-derful_". One thing that the tribe members soon learned about Suzie was that the enormous smile never disappeared from her face. Throughout the entire hike, she was bouncing merrily in her steps and giggling like the energetic girl that she was. And it was almost impossible for anybody not to like Suzie and her easygoing personality. To most of the tribe, she was like a little sister to them. 

"Hey Zoe! Guess what I found!" Suzie giggled, running up to the blonde. Her tiny hands were placed behind her back. 

"What is it, Suzie?" Zoe sweetly replied back. 

"Ta-da!" Suzie giddily giggled, presenting to Zoe a small white egg in her hand. 

**_ Zoe: _**_ Oh Suzie, she is a doll! I don't even know how to describe her. She is like a big ball of energy and I just love having her around. She adds so much to tribe morale and I think the mood will be so different without her. Yeah, she is definitely the tribe mascot. I just adore Suzie._

"Oh wow, it's an egg!" Zoe laughed, although she appeared a little confused. 

"Actually, it's not just any egg. It's a _Spearow_ egg," said Cassidy in a matter-of-fact voice. She turned around to look at Suzie. "Where did you find it, kid?" 

"Over there…or somewhere." Suzie said, vaguely gesturing to a tree behind her. She shrugged, still smiling. 

"Well, they're dangerous. Spearows are known for being dangerous predators of the forest. When that mother Fearow finds out her egg is gone, there's going to be hell in this forest." Cassidy raised an eyebrow, clearly not amused by Suzie's antics. "You need to leave it behind." 

"What? But I don't want to!" Suzie's smile started to fade. She hugged the egg very closely to her chest. "It's my egg, I found it!" 

"Look kid, I'm not going to have a swarm of Spearows hunting after us just because of your stupid egg." Cassidy's voice grew even harsher and sharper than before. It almost sounded like the venomous hiss from a snake. "So either you're going to leave the damn thing behind, or I'll snatch it from your hands and break the damn egg myself, got it?" 

"Don't worry, Suzie. The baby Spearow will be perfectly fine with its mother." Zoe said in a more tolerable tone. She gently took the egg from Suzie's hand and placed it by a tree. 

Suzie nodded, although she didn't look too convinced. However, her enthusiastic smile slowly returned to her face again. And just like that, it seemed like the Spearow egg had already vanished from her mind. In a matter of seconds, Suzie reverted back to her happy-go-lucky self. 

"That was a bit harsh, don't you think? She's just a kid." Zoe asked, leering reproachfully at Cassidy. 

"I'm just warning her about common sense, because we all know she doesn't have that much of it," replied Cassidy, brushing the remark off as if nothing happened. 

Zoe glared at her, and she opened her mouth to say something - but after a few seconds of thinking over it, she decided not to make this a big issue. Still, she clearly looked bothered by the display of behaviour from the Team Rocket member. Takuya walked up to her, placing a comforting hand on her shoulder. She smiled gratefully at him. 

**_ Takuya: _**_ Cassidy really pisses me off. I've been around her for, like, an hour and her circle of negativity is already bringing me down. She tends to talk down to people in this condescending manner and I find that really, really rude. I know Zoe can't stand her either. So yeah, Cassidy better watch herself. She's not going to make many friends if she keeps that attitude up._

"Hey look, everybody! I think I see our campsite!" Casey grinned, pointing ahead at the red flag blowing vigorously in the wind. 

"Gorebyss power, baby!" Takuya laughed, pumping his fist in the air. 

Despite spending most of their hike in a dense forest, their campsite was surprisingly located on a barren piece of land, shaped like a large lopsided oval. The camp were circled in by surrounding trees, but there was a narrow and rapid river flowing nearby. Across from the river were several tall mountains towering over their campsite. A crimson red flag marked the center of the campsite. Underneath the flag were the much needed supplies to help them on this expedition. 

This was the Gorebyss camp - their home for the next thirty nine days. 

"I love it here, man!" Takuya laughed, jumping up and down on the spot like an uncontrollable monkey. He raced towards the flag, placing a brief kiss on the pole. 

Most of the women looked amused. Only Zoe giggled out loud, feeling a bit embarrassed for her long-time friend. 

"We have rice." Cassidy said, opening a large container underneath the flag. She opened up the second container beside it and peered inside. "And corn - or at least I think this is corn." 

"It tastes more like mush than corn," Rika joked, after tasting a quick sample out of the container. "Is this all we have for food?" 

"Oh yeah," laughed Cassidy. She shook her head, placing her large hands on her slender hips. "Rice and corn will be our only source of food for thirty nine days. Welcome to Survivor, girls!" 

- - - 

Hours later, the Huntail tribe finally arrived at their camp. By this time, most of the tribe members were tired and exhausted after the lengthy hike. There was no loud and lively celebration about their arrival, just a unanimous sigh of relief from everybody. 

"We should start a fire to keep warm at night," said Brock. He held up a box of matches that he found amongst their supplies. 

"Yeah," May yawned. She wrapped her long, skinny arms around her body. "Don't we have sleeping bags to sleep in?" 

Nearby, Drew looked up at May with a smirk. He had been rummaging through the tribe's supplies until May had made that remark. 

"I hope you know that you signed up for _Survivor_, not summer camp." Drew teased. 

"I know that!" May retorted, sounding somewhat annoyed. "It's just...oh, never mind." 

"Anyway, we should start a fire." Butch commanded. "Somebody go in the forest and collect wood - chop down some branches from the trees with this machete if you have to." He held up the lone machete found in their camp supplies. "And go in pairs - never go in the forest alone at night." 

"Neato!" JP laughed, holding up a long cylinder in his hand. "I think we've a flashlight." 

He searched his fingers to find the switch button and tried to turn on the power. But alas, no light came out of the so-called flashlight. He groaned. 

"No batteries in this flashlight. Useless." JP frowned, tossing the flashlight aside on the sand. He looked at a few other small electronics they have in their supplies and sighed. "So I guess the radio and the fan won't work either. Man, why do they give us these luxuries when they don't even work." 

"To mock us, probably." Drew offered. 

**_ JP: _**_ We've a lot more supplies than we actually expected in our camp. You know, we've the basics - rice, corn, a few pots, a machete, one box of matchsticks, and a few bits of ends here and there. I mean, it's not like we're living in a hotel here - but it's actually not as bad as I thought it was going to be. We're not going to die of thirst here, dude! As soon as we start a fire tonight, we can boil some water and drink it…because I'm really, really thirsty!_

"Can we drink the water from the river?" TK asked, dipping a finger into the rapid river. 

"We need to purify it by boiling the water. It's not clean," said Brock. 

Like the Gorebyss tribe, the layout of the Huntail camp was built exactly the same way. They were surrounded by trees and there was a narrow river in their camp. 

"The river seems to be leading into the sea," said TK, looking at the direction where the river is flowing. He turned to May, using his fingers to point out the increasing width of the river. May smiled brightly, nodding in comprehension. 

"We've a rowing boat! We can go out to sea that way!" Takato laughed nervously, feeling desperate to contribute into the conversation around camp. 

"No way," Butch shook his head, sounding dismissive. "The river is too rapid and there's no way the rowing boat can survive a current like that. Besides, there could be a damn waterfall down there, for all we know." 

Takato frowned, looking slightly crestfallen that he wouldn't be able to sail out at sea. 

"So, who's going to look for firewood?" Butch asked. 

He browsed through his tribe members for a candidate, barely recognizing their faces in the dark. He immediately skipped past Takato and May, not even putting them in consideration for such an important job. They were the two people who he felt were the weakest to their tribe. Brock? No, Butch refused to give that son of a bitch any more time to be the hero. JP, TK and Drew - they were all pansies who Butch can't trust with a job like this. Finally, he turned to the only remaining member of the tribe left: James. 

"You, come with me to the forest. Bring the machete," said Butch, pointing at James. James was taking a bite out of an apple at the time. 

The Team Rocket member looked genuinely surprised that he was called. But like an obedient follower, he got up and tossed his apple core aside. Brock watched James and Butch disappear into the forest. He frowned. 

**_ Brock: _**_ Normally, it would be dangerous to go into the forest during night, let alone go chop down some trees for firewood. But since none of us have drank any fluids for the past few hours, I'm worried that we'll get dehydrated out here. We need to start a fire as soon as possible so we can boil the water. I know we're exhausted after the hike, but water is our first priority out here._

"Hey, did everybody eat an apple yet?" Brock asked. He was talking about the fruits they had collected in the middle of their hike. "The apple juice isn't a great substitute for water, but it's the best we can do for now. You don't want to be dehydrated out here, trust me." 

"Good point, Brock." TK said, picking up an apple from the ground. "You're really good with this survival stuff." 

"Yeah, you're much better of a leader than Butch is," Takato laughed. TK offered him an apple, which Takato politely accepted. "Thank you, TK." 

"Thanks, I guess. I've some experience from being outdoors so often." Brock nodded, smiling. He turned around to face the forest. "I just hope the guys will come back soon with the firewood. We need to have some water in our bodies…" 

And suddenly, a loud, high-pitched scream pierced their ears. It came from the forest. 

Brock nervously glanced at his tribe members, who were all looking at him in awe. 

Oh _shit._

- - - 

** DAY 2**

Rika Nonaka wasn't an easy person to please. Some tribe members had compared her face to a stone, because it would be almost impossible to crack a smile out of her. Although she inherited her mother's beautiful blue eyes, they looked as if they were devoid of any compassion or emotion. Her words were harsh and her attitude was brash. To those who didn't know Rika well, it was easy to see why she came across as a crabby and boorish _bitch_. It didn't seem to bother her at all. She was used to being called unfriendly names by those who felt intimidated by her unfriendly attitude. 

**_ Rika: _**_ Sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me. Who cares about what those people think of me? I am Rika Nonaka and if you don't like me, then here's what I think of you._

She proceeded to flip the cameras with her middle finger. 

That pretty much summarized her motto in life. 

But this morning, Rika was actually smiling, a rare sight that would shock her normal friends back at home. It looked like a weak and forced one, but a smile nevertheless. She was standing in front of their incomplete shelter, with her hands on her hips. All that was missing from their shelter was the roof. 

"This is what we've built for the past three hours, our shelter," explained Rika, talking to one of the cameras. 

She went and knocked on one of the four supporting beams that held the shelter together. There was one at every end of the shelter. The floor was slightly levitated from the ground, and they've even built a tiny two-step staircase to help them go inside the shelter. In front of the shelter, there was their carefully tended fire. Casey suggested they build it there so they could keep warm while sleeping in the shelter at night. The only downside was that they didn't have any walls around, since it was difficult enough to fit eight people inside a crammed space. 

But Rika was pleased with what her tribe has done so far. She took another look at her shelter, nodding her head slowly. They might not be architects, but in her opinion, this must've been the best damn shelter ever built in Survivor history. 

**_ Rika: _**_ The best part about this shelter was that it's a group project - so everybody contributed in a way to build this. Well, everybody did participate…except for one person._

Rika was talking about Delia Ketchum, the single mother of one from Pallet Town, also the eldest player on this tribe. 

It wasn't because Delia was lazy. Having the experience of raising a child, she would be the first person to argue that she had _excellent _work ethics. No, the reason why Delia wasn't working was because she had fallen ill. The harsh environment and a lack of water on the first day caused her fragile body to collapse. She never recovered from it ever since. So, while her hard-working tribe members were working around her, Delia rested uncomfortably in the shelter, trying her best not to throw up. She placed a wet buff on her forehead. 

"I feel so worthless around here," joked Delia. 

"You are." Cassidy responded back. The sassy Team Rocket diva was not known for sweetening her answers. "But you're also sick, so you need to rest." 

"Sorry everybody," Delia said apologetically. She flashed a weak smile at Cassidy, who had already turned away. "I'll get better soon, I promise." 

**_ Delia: _**_ I…uh…I'm not doing so well out here. May be I don't do enough exercise at home or may be I'm just old, but I've been vomiting ever since that hike yesterday. Not only am I throwing up, I also have chapped lips and a killer headache when I woke up this morning. Cassidy said that I might be dehydrated since I didn't drink any boiled water last night. It was really late by the time they got the fire started yesterday, and I fell asleep without drinking any of it._

She rubbed her fingers over her pale lips. Skin was starting to peel off from it. 

**_ Delia: _**_ I'm sure I'll get better in a few days, it's just that my body couldn't adapt to an entirely different environment. For now, I think it's best if I don't go out in the sun. If I move, I'll probably just throw up anyway. I hate that I'm not contributing to the work. I hate feeling useless around camp._

And while others were working on the shelter, Suzie and Zoe went into the forest to forage for food. It was only Day 2, but several women were already complaining about the lack of variety in food choices. It was either rice or corn, so the meals seemed tedious and tasteless to the picky eaters. Zoe was confident that they'll make more new discoveries in the future. After all, a large part of this island was still unexplored. But unfortunately, the women weren't having much luck finding food in the forest. Apples were the only edible items they had found so far. 

After an hour of collecting apples from the trees, the two girls emerged from the forest with a modest supply. As usual, Suzie had a huge enthusiastic smile on her round face, giggling as she walked with her short, stubby legs. Behind her was Zoe, looking stunningly beautiful even after two scruffy days on this island. She held a black pot that contained all the apples they've collected. 

"We're the best apple picking team ever!" Zoe laughed, slapping a high five with Suzie. She put her pot on the ground and clapped her hands together. "It's time for lunch, everyone!" 

At the cue of lunchtime, the tribe members all stopped working as they gathered around Zoe and her pot of apples. They sat in a circle around the camp fire, waiting patiently while Suzie and Zoe distributed three apples to each tribe member. The only person absent from the Gorebyss lunch circle was Delia. 

"I know it's not a lot for lunch. But we only have a limited supply of rice and we don't want to run out," said Cassidy, holding up an apple. It was her idea to conserve the rice and corn, which were only cooked during breakfast and dinner time. 

"Cassidy, this is a great decision, you know, to rationalize the food. I'm so glad you thought of it!" Mimi smiled appreciatively at the older woman. Several others mumbled in consent. 

"It''s just common sense." Cassidy smirked, sticking her nose pompously in the air. 

When all seven members received their share of food, Suzie made the extra effort to bring several apples to Delia, who was still lying in the shelter. 

"Here are three apples, Mrs. Ketchum! Enjoy!" Suzie smiled sympathetically at the sick woman. She placed two apples beside Delia's hand, and then gasped. "Oh no, I must've dropped one!" 

"It's alright, Suzie. You don't need to look for it." Delia laughed. She got up and patted Suzie on the shoulder. "You're very kind. Thank you." 

**_ Suzie: _**_ I feel really bad about Mrs. Ketchum because she is feeling really, really sick. This morning, I saw her throwing up and stuff. It's really disgusting and I don't like to see her act like that. I want her to feel better._

"Oh yeah, I almost forgot." Zoe snapped her fingers. She threw an apple core into an empty pot and then pulled out a piece of parchment from her pants pocket. "We got treemail today!" 

"Is it an immunity challenge?" Mimi squealed excitedly. 

"It is. The challenge will be in the afternoon." Zoe nodded her head. She began to unroll the parchment, and then paused midway. "And guess what? We're going to win against the men. We're going to kick some _ass_!" 

"You got _that _right." Takuya chuckled. 

**_ Zoe: _**_ We're pumped about the upcoming immunity challenge. I…I really want to win. I'm a competitive person, so I'm not used to losing - especially losing to a bunch of guys. Oh my goodness, I'd hate that. Women can do anything that men could do, if not better._

Zoe smiled, flipping her beautiful blonde hair over her shoulder. 

**_ Zoe: _**_ Those macho men over there probably think we're weak in physical challenges, because that's how guys are…they're cocky. If there are male chauvinists on the other tribe, it's going to make victory taste so much sweeter when we beat them in the immunity challenge!_

- - - 

And while the shelter in Gorebyss tribe was polished and almost completed, the Huntail Tribe didn't even start building their shelter yet. They slacked off for numerous trivial reasons: they needed to conserve energy, it was comfortable enough to sleep on the sand, there were other priorities more important than shelter. All of these excuses to be lazy…Brock heard them all. The Pokemon Breeder would be the first to point out that his tribe was a mess, but he always said this out of Butch's earshot - because Butch was still the leader of Huntail and he still held some amount of respect from several tribe members, although by now, the players were starting to get tired of him. 

"Butch is a big pain in the butt," May told Brock this morning as they made breakfast together. She was sitting on a log, holding a cutting knife with her right hand. "He clearly has no idea what he's doing. He's probably the worst leader ever." 

"I know, May. But TK and JP still listen to him for some reason," said Brock. He was tending the fire that he had built this morning. 

"That's because they're _ followers_." May said, slicing an apple in half with her knife. A small clinking sound could be heard, followed by a gasp from May. "Oh shoot!" 

"What?" Brock's head perked up, turning around. 

"I broke the knife." May sighed, holding the fragile handle of the knife. The sharp blade was still on the ground. She scratched her head, smiling apologetically. "Sorry." 

"It's alright. We've a spare knife." Brock said, getting up from the fire. He carefully picked up the blade with his hand, making sure he was pointing the sharp point to the floor. 

"Actually…I think Takato broke that other knife last night too. The handle fell of as well." May explained. 

"Cheap knives, huh?" Brock let out a small chuckle. "Don't worry, I can fix it." 

"You the man!" May grinned, patting Brock on the shoulder. 

**_ Brock: _**_ Our camp is falling apart. Day 1 of Huntail tribe was horrible. Day 2 of Huntail tribe is…still pretty crappy. We don't have a shelter, we don't have the work ethics and we definitely don't have a good leader. I'm not playing the blame game, but most of this is Butch's fault. He's not a responsible leader and he's not taking care of his tribe like he's supposed to. Most of the time, I feel like I'm picking up his slack because of his negligence._

Brock sighed, rubbing his forehead. He was having a headache just thinking about all the problems in this tribe. 

**_ Brock: _**_ I think…it's time for a change. I can't sit back here and let things continue the way like it. This…this is what a losing tribe looks like - and I'm not going to be on a losing tribe._

As noon was approaching, several tribe members were finally waking up. James, one of the late sleepers, joined Brock and May by the campfire. 

"Good morning." James yawned, brushing a strand of blue hair away from his green eyes. 

Normally under his friend Jessie's command, he wouldn't be caught ten feet in proximity amongst with the twerps, let alone converse with them. But James knew better than to isolate anybody in this game. For all he knew, Brock and May could possibly be two of the seven people in the jury, determining if he'd be the sole survivor or not. And if winning the million dollars meant that he had to talk with twerps like Brock and May, then yes, he will do it! 

"Hey James, how's your knee doing?" May asked, sounding genuinely concerned. 

"It's alright, but it still hurts a little," said James. He gently placed a hand on his right knee. "I just hope I won't slow us down today in the immunity challenge." He then looked gratefully at Brock. "Thanks for tending my knee last night, Brock." 

"No problem." Brock smiled. "I'm just glad there was a first-aid kit in our supplies." 

**_ James: _**_ Last night, I was in the forest looking for firewood with Butch. It turned out to be a horrible idea, because I tripped over a rock or something and I ended up cutting my knee. I don't remember doing this, but the men kept saying that I screamed like a girl when I fell. Whatever. Anyway, my knee hurts soooooo bad, but I'm still hanging on. If we go to tribal council, they'll look for any reason to vote somebody off. This little cut on the knee is nothing compared to winning a million dollars._

James grinned, his enigmatic green eyes dancing behind his hair. 

**_ James: _**_ I'm not going to give them the satisfaction of voting me out._

"Hey, you built a fire!" James said, finally noticing the fire right in front of him.. 

"Yeah, I started the fire this morning with May," said Brock. He then grinned impishly. "You know, it's much easier to collect wood in the forest when there's _light_." 

"And we're boiling water right now, so we won't be thirsty anymore!" May giggled. 

"That…that's great!" James laughed, looking a little taken back. "Wow. Wait, how come Botch didn't do any of this? He's supposed to be the leader!" 

"Good question," said Brock with a disapproving sneer. 

He stood up and removed the pot of the water from the fire, placing it on the ground. May handed him several self-carved wooden cups, and Brock filled each of them with the fresh water. 

"Drink some water, James. You don't want to get dehydrated. An illness will really bring the tribe down," said Brock, handing a cup of water to James. 

"Is that water? Say it isn't so, Joe!" JP shouted in joy. The chubby Frontier emerged from the forest and ran over to the trio. Brock handed him a cup of water as well. 

"There's plenty more germ-free water now that we've a fire going." Brock chuckled, watching JP gulped the whole cup in one giant sip. 

"Refill please!" JP grinned, handing over the cup to Brock. "I'm glad we finally have water, man!" 

"Hey, I was wondering…" Brock said slowly, pausing to take a sip of water. "_We_ were wondering if you'd like to start working on a shelter. I'm sure sleeping on the sand isn't that comfortable." 

"Are you kidding? I slept like a rock!" JP laughed. 

"So how about it? We can build a shelter, starting this afternoon. We shouldn't have to spend another night sleeping outdoors," said Brock. 

"Plus, it'll get really bad if it started to rain." May added. She shook her head frantically at her own suggestion. "I don't want to sleep in the rain." 

"Dude, I don't know. Did you consult with Butch about this idea? He would know what to do." JP rubbed his chin. He then pulled out a piece of parchment from his pocket. "By the way, TK told me to deliver this. We have treemail." 

Brock bit his lips. He managed to force an artificial smile on his face. 

"Forget it. We'll worry about the shelter later." He waved his hand in dismissal. "I want to hear what the immunity challenge is about!" 

But as JP read the treemail out loud, none of it got processed in his head. Brock only had one thought his head right now. 

Butch. 

He _hated_ the name Butch. 

- - - 

It was time for the first immunity challenge. 

Professor Birch watched as the two tribes arrived, assembling themselves on their respective mats. The crimson red Gorebyss flag blew vigorously in the wind, side by side with the navy blue Huntail flag. Standing underneath the flags were the sixteen castaways, all of them looked equally confident and eager. Nobody wanted to return to their camp today with a bruised ego and the burden of a loss. Even worse were the consequences: nobody wanted to go to the first tribal council. Nobody wanted to be the first person voted off. 

"Welcome to your first immunity challenge!" Professor Birch announced. He was holding a golden Pokeball, which was about the size of a soccer ball. "Today, you'll be playing for this." He waved the golden Pokeball around, while the players cheered enthusiastically. "This is the immunity idol. Win this and you're guaranteed three more days on this island." 

"Yeah baby!" An indistinguishable male voice called out from the crowd. 

"In today's challenge, you'll be going through an obstacle course in the sea." Professor Birch explained. He slowly walked over to two boats, each in the tribe's respective colour. "Row your boat to the marked area." Professor Birch pointed at the four green buoys floating in the water some distance away. "There are sixteen torches there, all scattered underwater. When you arrive, dive down and retrieve eight torches for your tribe." 

Delia grimaced. She looked slightly discouraged at the physical aspects of this challenge. 

"Once you have eight torches, you must turn your boat over and row back to this island. Once you've arrived, you must light the torches in the fire pit. The first tribe to complete this will win immunity! Does everybody understand the rules?" 

"Bring it on!" Takuya screamed. His loud voice drowned out all the mumbles of consent from the other players. 

All the players arranged themselves in the position to start. Professor Birch smiled as he slowly raised his hand. 

"Survivors ready…go!" 

On his cue, the sixteen castaways made a mad dash towards their boats. While Delia and Suzie lagged behind in their running, the Huntail tribe quickly got their act together. Once they pushed their boat into the water, all eight tribe members quickly hopped in and rowed away to their next area - the floating buoys. 

"Stroke, damn it! Stroke!" Butch screamed maniacally at his tribe members. He thrust his oar in the water, paddling the boat with all his might. 

Takato nervously looked around, poorly mimicking what his tribe members were doing. He still had no idea how to hold an oar properly, let alone row a boat. 

The Gorebyss tribe was still on the island, but they were almost ready to depart. Suzie accidentally fell on the sand, but she quickly recovered without a complaint. After the perky little girl leapt into the boat, the women were ready to sail. They rowed in unison towards the floating green buoys, and despite a late start, they weren't that far behind from the other tribe. 

"We can still catch up, Gorebyss!" Zoe shouted out encouragingly. She narrowed her eyes at the other tribe in front of her. She didn't want to lose to the cocky men. 

While the red boat traveled in a straight line, the blue Huntail boat was going in a zigzagged direction, mostly due to the lack of coordination from the tribe members. The more athletic members, like Brock and Butch, were paddling too quickly, and the slower members couldn't catch up to their pace. Orders and commands to fix this problem were shouted all at once, but the men's loud voices drowned each other out. What could've been a simple advice came out as an unintelligible clutter of noise. 

"Faster! Faster!" Butch kept shouting. He used his right leg to lightly kick Takato on his hips. "Yo kid, paddle faster!" 

"I'm trying my best! And stop kicking me!" Takato shouted. 

"Will you all shut up already? I can't concentrate when you're constantly screaming in my ear!" JP shrieked at the men. But since Butch and Takato were also talking at the same time, the other tribe members couldn't hear what he had to say. 

Despite the disorderly chaos, the Huntail boat successfully reached the green floating buoys. Drew and TK dove into the sea, searching for the torches underwater. The agile swimmers quickly returned with impressive results, resurfacing each time with two or three torches in their hands. 

By the time TK found Huntail's eighth final torch, the Gorebyss boat had arrived. Like the men, the women used the same strategy to only send their two best swimmers in the water. Cassidy and Takuya dove in, just as the blue Huntail boat turning around, making their way back to the mainland. 

"Oh no, oh no…" Delia muttered as she watched the red boat depart hastily. An empathetic Mimi held the housewife's hand, which was trembling with fear. "Please come back soon, Cassidy and Takuya. Please." 

The single mother from Pallet Town was panicking because it appeared as if they were going to lose the first immunity challenge. She might have been sick like a dog for the past two days, but Delia Ketchum wasn't _stupid_. It was the first tribal council, and her tribe members will look for any reason to target somebody as an easy first vote. Delia fitted all of the criteria - she was sick and she wasn't a contributor to her tribe. 

Delia knew that if they lost this challenge, she would be the instant scapegoat in tribal council. 

And she knew that they _needed_ to win this challenge. 

"Yes! Four more to go!" Suzie giggled when Takuya and Cassidy both resurfaced from the water, each holding up two torches in their hands. 

Meanwhile, the Huntail tribe was stumbling in water. Due to the lack of coordination and communication between each other, they were traveling slightly off course. While the island was straight ahead, the boat was slightly slanting towards the left. Brock was the first person to notice this. 

"We've to turn back! We're going off course!" Brock warned. "Everyone, shift! Shift!" 

Takato made a face. _How was he supposed to do that?_

"Oh man, those girls are catching up to us!" JP turned around to examine the red boat. He could see Takuya and Cassidy climbing on their boat, passing the torches to the rest of their tribe members. They had just finished collected eight torches. 

"Forget the other tribe! We have to focus here!" Butch commanded, but their boat was still going off course. 

The Gorebyss boat used this pivotal time to close up the gap between the two boats. By the time Huntail straightened out their problems and got on track again, the Gorebyss boat was just right behind them. It looked like a neck to neck race now to arrive to the island. There was no more room for mistakes. 

And then it happened. 

Takato accidentally swung his oar too hard, knocking over two torches into the sea with his elbow. Takato gasped in horror, shouting for his tribe to stop the boat as he dove down to retrieve the two fallen torches. During this time, the Gorebyss tribe's boat easily passed by them. Huntail lost their lead. 

"He's absolutely useless." Butch spitted angrily, mumbling under his breath. In front of him was James, who was nodding his head with consent. 

Takato didn't resurface from the water with the two lost torches until a minute later. But by then, it was too late. The Gorebyss tribe had already arrived to shore, and the tribe members were hopping off the boat one by one. As soon as Suzie, the last person to leave the boat, stepped foot on the island, a winning tribe was declared. Zoe led the way as the crimson red tribe ran to the fire pit, lighting their torches. The flames flared vibrantly and brightly in the air - that was the sign of victory. 

"Gorebyss wins immunity!" Professor Birch announced, which was followed by an eruption of cheers from the Gorebyss tribe. He turned towards the blue Huntail tribe, who were just arriving to the island. "Unfortunately Huntail tribe, you'll be attending tribal council tomorrow night, where one of your tribe members will be voted off." 

"Damn it!" Butch muttered, looking very frustrated. He and several other tribe members glared angrily at Takato, who was too ashamed to even look up from his feet. 

Professor Birch then handed Zoe the coveted immunity idol, which she proudly waved in the air like a Gorebyss flag. She passed the golden Pokeball around to the rest of her tribe members, so that each person could have a taste of what victory feels like. For some of them, this was easily one of the largest accomplishments ever achieved in their lives. 

Zoe was satisfied with their win, content in knowing that the men from Huntail will _never_ underestimate, _never_ doubt, _never_ mock the capabilities of women ever again. 

Delia was ecstatic with their win, thankful that she wouldn't be targeted at the first tribal council because of her illness. 

Suzie was delighted with their win, if merely because the wide grins on her tribe members' faces made her very happy. 

Gorebyss was a happy, united tribe. 

For now, anyway. 

- - - 

After returning from the challenge, the sun had set and the castaway found themselves loitering in darkness. The only thing illuminating the Huntail camp that night was a weakly lit fire, positioned in the centre of the campsite. Some tribe members gathered around the fire for warmth, but none of them have much to say to each other. Even Drew, who usually looked so calm and stable, was shivering in the cold. He wrapped his purple jacket around himself. 

"We're cold and miserable." May mumbled. She sniffled softly, gazing sadly in to the fire. "And we don't even have a stupid shelter to sleep in." 

"Yeah, this…just…sucks!" JP groaned, burying his face in his hands. 

"Hey guys, where's Takato?" Brock asked, scanning around the fire for the petite Tamer. He was nowhere in sight. 

"Who cares?" Butch grumpily replied. "Hopefully, he jumped into the river and drowned himself, so he could spare us the energy to vote him off at tribal council." A thin smirk crossed his sharp, angular face. "It's the least he could do after what happened today at the challenge." 

Brock frowned, but decided better than to tell the callous Team Rocket member what he _really_ felt inside. He got up from the comfy log that he was sitting on, turning his back to his unresponsive tribe members. 

"I'm going to look for Takato," he announced to the group. 

Nobody cared enough to join him. 

**_ Brock: _**_ Losing the immunity challenge today really brought our morale down. I know everybody tried their best today, that's what matters. We worked together as a tribe and we failed together as a tribe. But Takato is really beating himself up over this loss. He thinks it's entirely his fault that we lost the immunity challenge today. Of course, it doesn't help that assholes like Butch are ruthlessly trashing him for his performance._

Brock shook his head disapprovingly, the same way a father would shake his head at his disobedient son. He sighed. 

**_ Brock: _**_ Poor kid. He doesn't deserve to feel like that._

While everybody was cuddled closely around the camp fire, only Takato isolated himself by sitting at the edge of the river, all alone. To keep warm, he put his knees up to his chest and hugged them. The petite boy stared into the nothingness with a grim expression on his face. What he was looking at, he could never explain, but at least the nothingness was better than seeing the disappointed looks on his tribe members' faces. 

Suddenly, he could hear footsteps. 

Takato turned around. It was dark and he could barely make out the tall figure that was approaching him. It turned out to be Brock; he had found him. The Petwer City gym leader smiled at him and took a seat beside Takato by the river. 

"What's on your mind, Takato?" Brock asked. 

"Just depressed, that all." Takato replied in a very soft whisper, still gazing dumbly at the water. 

"Takato…what happened at the immunity challenge today was nobody's fault." Brock explained, slowly putting a hand on Takato's shoulder. "It was an accident. Accidents happen." He paused, and then added. "Don't blame yourself because of it." 

"But we had the lead at the challenge, we could've won." Takato whimpered weakly. "If it wasn't for my mistake, we wouldn't have fallen behind…" 

And whilst he spoke, Takato had his head shamefully hung down. He never once looked at Brock directly in the eyes. 

He didn't want Brock to see that he was crying. 

**_ Takato: _**_ I feel really bad that we lost the immunity challenge today, because I'm responsible for the loss. I mean, I've had some camping experience, but I never learned how to row a boat before! Everybody knew that I was slowing my tribe down. I'm not an athlete, they all knew that._

Takato smiled weakly at the cameras. 

**_ Takato: _**_ Coming in here, I knew I wouldn't be the strongest or the smartest. My strategy was to just avoid making big enemies or big mistakes, but umm… it's not really working out for me so far._

"Takato, we are a team," said Brock. He clasped his hands together to demonstrate unity. "And you just can't let one little loss bring your whole attitude down, because it will bring the _ whole_ team down. You've got to start thinking positively." 

"Yeah," mumbled Takato, although he still didn't sound confident. He took his hand and wiped his eyes. 

"And despite the loss, most of us still really like you. And we don't want to see you mope around like this and punish yourself for a trivial thing like this." Brock said earnestly. "So what do you say? Why don't you come and join the rest of us around the fire?" 

Standing up, Brock reached out his muscular hand to Takato, inviting him to return to the campsite. The little boy looked up at him uncertainly for a few seconds. 

And finally, Takato smiled. He took Brock's hand and slowly got up from his seat. 

"Thanks Brock," said Takato. "You're a real nice guy…you're like a superhero! Is there anything you can't do?" 

"Find a girlfriend?" Brock grinned bashfully at the petite Tamer. 

- - - 

** DAY 3**

The castaways had spent three days in the Dewford islands and morning rituals were beginning to establish. 

In the Huntail tribe, TK Takaishi would always be the first person to wake up. Following his strict exercise routine in real life, the athletic blonde went for a morning jog around the island every morning. He would return to camp feeling energized, having absorbed the fresh island air. 

Next to wake up were Brock and May. Brock would start cooking breakfast and May would begin boiling water, so that food and water could be easily provided when the other tribe members are awake. Their contribution to camp was significant, but often overlooked. 

Butch was always one of the last people to wake up, but surprisingly, he also developed a morning routine of his own. Unlike some of his tribe members, the Team Rocket elitist was not a morning person. Without his coffee and creature comforts, Butch was groggy and miserable for hours after he woke up. And when Butch was irritated, he would do the one thing that he did best - he criticized. 

"You know why I couldn't get a wink of sleep last night?" Butch asked some of his tribe members over breakfast this morning. The five of them were sitting on logs around the fire, eating the apple slices that Brock prepared for them earlier in the day. 

"We know, man." JP said emphatically. "Sleeping on sand is so _not_ comfortable." 

"May be Brock is right. We should build a shelter so we'll at least have a roof over our heads," suggested James. He looked around camp for the tanned Pokemon Breeder, but he couldn't find him, since Brock was foraging for food with Takato and May in the forest. 

"No, no. That's not it." Butch shook his head. "Actually last night, I just kept on thinking and thinking how that little shit Takato brutalized the immunity challenge." He smirked. "I just got this mental image stuck in my head on how he dropped the torches in the water. And it still pisses me off!" 

"We could've definitely won the challenge if it wasn't for that mistake," said TK, nodding his head. 

"Exactly! And frankly, I don't even know why we're keeping Takato around camp." Butch held up his hand, beginning to count his fingers off. "He's weak in challenges, he's useless around camp, he's socially inept…so why are we making this tribal council decision so hard on ourselves, am I right?" 

"Good point." Drew rubbed his chin slowly. 

"So here's what I'm thinking…" Butch began, but he needn't continue what he was going to say. The other men already knew what Butch was talking about, especially since the idea had crossed each and single one of their minds after losing immunity. 

Butch looked at his team members sitting around the fire: TK, JP, Drew, James and himself. That was five people - no, five _votes_ needed to vote Takato Matsuki off tonight. 

"The five of us form an alliance together and vote for the same person at every tribal council." Butch suggested, his finger circling the men surrounding him. "And we vote out Takato tonight. Next would be the girl, and then Brock." 

"I'm okay with voting Takato out tonight. We need to keep our tribe strong," said TK cautiously. 

"Me too." James replied. Drew also nodded his head in silent consent. 

Butch turned to JP with his eyebrows raised, as if to say to the chubby Frontier _"Well?" _JP's mouth was too full of food to speak right now. He had to swallow everything in one big gulp before he could reply back. 

"I'm in the alliance, obviously." JP said. Then, he flashed a boyish grin to his tribe members. "And I've got another idea…we should call ourselves The Breakfast Club because of the circumstances." 

"The Breakfast Club!" Butch snickered maniacally, sounding like a rusty drainpipe in need of repair. "I like that name! Good one!" 

And just like that, the second alliance in Survivor: Dewford Island was officially created. 

**_ Butch: _**_ Right now, I feel damn good about my chances in the game. I just established a strong and steady alliance. Like I predicted, those geeks all accepted my offer without a single drop of hesitation. They're just all so gullible. I call them my finger puppets because I control their every move in this game._

He waved his hand dismissively. 

**_ Butch: _**_ What I find even more hilarious is that we call our alliance "The Breakfast Club", when the two people who actually make us breakfast everyday aren't even in our alliance! That's irony for you!_

The first alliance had been built on the other side of the island, quite some time ago. 

Ever the cunning liar, Brock used the excuse of foraging food in order to have May and Takato in the forest with him, so the three of them could have a private conversation together. Brock has always been good at reading people, so he knew that he could put all of his trust in May and Takato. They were the two tribe members whom he wanted to be aligned with, all the way until the end. 

"You, me and Takato, we'll recruit one or two more votes, and that tyrant Butch is out of here." Brock proposed. 

"Sounds good to me!" May said enthusiastically, clapping her hands. "We can convince TK and JP to vote with us for sure!" 

"They're going to target me because of my challenge performance, aren't they?" Takato asked timidly. He kicked a small rock on the ground, which hit a tree and bounced back. "I could kind of catch a hint. None of them even bothered to talk with me today." 

"Oh Takato! Don't let that thought get you down!" May sighed, hugging the petite Tamer. Over the past few days, she had bonded with the passive Tamer tremendously. She even started to treat Takato as if he was her substitute little brother (except that May would joke that Takato was ten times less annoying than Max ever was). 

**_ Takato: _**_ I think everybody in Huntail is super nice and friendly, except you-know-who. But the two people who I like the most has to be Brock and May. Brock is just awesome because he does everything around camp! He built the fire, he boiled the water, he cooked the food…he's more resourceful on this island than any of us could ever imagine! I don't know what I…what we could do without Brock on our tribe. We might just starve to death!_

Takato laughed, grinning boyishly at the cameras. 

**_ Takato: _**_ And I really like May too. May be it's because we're both underestimated by the rest of our tribe, but May doesn't treat me like I'm not capable of doing work. It really irritates me sometimes when people think I'm just this weak little kid who can't do anything. That's so far from the truth! Give me a chance to prove myself to you guys, don't dismiss me immediately!_

"We'll have the numbers someway somehow, don't worry." Brock added in a confident tone. He looked around the forest for any spies. "Come on, we've to get moving. The others will get suspicious if the three of us stay together too long." 

The Huntail tribe might not know it yet, but they had unconsciously adopted strategizing as another of their daily morning rituals. 

- - - 

Drew sat under a tree by himself, sculpting a small piece of wood with the broken knife blade. It might look like he wasn't doing anything productive, but in reality, Drew was actually carving a wooden bowl from scratch. He already made several drinking cups and eating utensils for his tribe, which they were all extremely grateful for. Drew was pleased that he had an outlet to express his artistic abilities to his tribe members. 

"We're civil people. Nobody wants to eat with their hands," said Drew as he held up a half-completed bowl to the cameras. "Except JP," he added with a sinister snicker. "But that's because he eats like a pig." 

Drew shrugged, placing the knife blade and wooden bowl on the ground. 

"I'm planning to move onto larger projects in the future. May be a chair or something, but I know it's going to take a lot of time and materials to make one." 

He stopped talking and looked up. James was approaching him. He was still limping a little in his steps, probably because he had hurt his ankle a few days ago. Drew deducted that James was in the middle of his trip to retrieve water, seeing as the Team Rocket member carried an empty black pot in his hands. 

"Hi Drew," James smiled coyly. He took a seat beside Drew by the tree. "Ready for tonight's tribal council meeting?" 

"I am. Are you planning to vote off Takato?" Drew asked in an indifferent tone. 

James made a shaky gesture with his hand to indicate that he didn't make up his mind yet. He looked uneasy. 

"I guess so, since you know…with the alliance and everything," said James. He turned around to see if there was anybody around them. Once James made sure that they were alone, he lowered his voice to a whisper. "Brock and May just told me something a few minutes ago. They aren't going to vote Takato off." 

"I know. They approached me too. They want me to join their alliance and vote Butch off." Drew said, still sounding neutral about everything. 

"Hmm, so those two are going around everybody with this campaign to save Takato." James widened his eyes. 

"Go figure. You know what May and Brock are like." Drew shrugged. "They are as subtle as a hammer hitting a nail." 

James laughed softly. It was this type of dry and sarcastic wit that made Drew so appealing to James. He wasn't a goody-two-shoe like most of the other tribe members in Huntail, so James found it comforting to talk with the snippy Pokemon Coordinator. At least somebody out here thought in the same lines as him. 

"Let me guess, you're having second thoughts about voting Takato off too." Drew looked up at James expectantly. 

"Well, err...yes. It's just that Butch and I don't see each other eye to eye." James rolled his eyes. "I think he's really pompous. And he bosses too many people around here. We're not his slaves!" 

**_ James: _**_ There has been talk about voting Butch off because he's getting on a lot of people's nerves, especially me. I don't think we'll win or accomplish anything if Butch is our leader, because he's just sooooo divisive and argumentative! I know he's in my alliance, but I don't like the guy and I really don't want him to stay around!_

"Frankly, I'd rather keep Takato around a bit longer. He's meek and a bit naive. He's not a threat." Drew shrugged his shoulders again. 

"Me too," agreed James. He sighed. "But I don't know…Butch is our unofficial leader of Huntail…" 

"Let me tell you something, James. Huntail is a sinking ship as long as Butch continues to be our leader," Drew said. "Anybody who's not blind could tell you that Brock is clearly the better candidate as the leader. He got the work ethic, he got the experience, and he got the maturity to handle such a role. But as long as Butch is around, Brock won't step up as the leader, and then our tribe will keep losing and losing." 

"We'll go down like Ulong." James said. 

"Basically, yes." Drew nodded his head. 

"This sucks!" James smacked his hand to his forehead. "I don't like Butch, but I don't want to vote with the twerps either!" He looked at Drew, obviously flustered. "What should we do?" 

With an amused expression on his face, Drew just shrugged. 

**_ Drew: _**_ Tomorrow morning, I hope Butch eats burnt toast for breakfast at the Loser's Lodge, because it's only appropriate given what I think will happen tonight. _

There was a sinister twinkle in Drew's emerald green eyes. 

**_ Drew: _**_ Butch will get burned at tribal council, and the Breakfast Club is toast._

- - - 

Tribal council was held on top of a summit, positioned just above a majestic waterfall. There was a large bonfire placed in the middle of the set and it was the only light source illuminating the otherwise dark sky. There was also a glass sculpture of the Dewford Dewgong, a popular and much worshipped icon in Dewford Town. In front of the sculpture stood Professor Birch, dressed in his long white laboratory coat and a pair of brown sandals. 

He watched silently as the eight members of Huntail filed in, dipped their torches in the fire, and took a seat on the two stone bleachers. The professor went through a mandatory speech about how fire represented life in this game ("as long as your torch has a fire, you're still in the game!") and explained the basic instructions of tribal council ("cast a vote for the person you want to vote out!"). 

And then without further ado, they were ready to begin. 

"May, you're the only woman in a tribe consisting of seven men," said Professor Birch. "How has life been for you so far? I mean, it must feel pretty awkward!" 

"It is awkward to live with seven men, but I'm managing." May replied, "Luckily, all of these men respect me enough to give me the privacy and personal space that I need - because those are the two key things that a woman needs when she's around men." 

"It's great to have May around. She's the best looking girl in the game," added Brock with a chuckle. Several people laughed. 

"Do you think that makes you vulnerable tonight?" Professor Birch asked. 

"Oh definitely, professor. But I'm always going to feel paranoid at tribal council." May nervously smiled. "But I hope that I proved to them I'm an asset to this tribe. I might be a girl, but that doesn't mean I'm weak in challenges. Just look at how the other tribe did at the immunity challenge!" 

"Takato, you guys had the lead at the immunity challenge, but you still lost at the end. What happened?" Professor Birch turned towards the petite boy, asking a new question. 

"Err…well, it's partially my fault." Takato mumbled, with his head down on the floor in shame. "I dropped a few of our torches in the water by accident and we lost a lot of time because we had to retrieve it. I've just never been really good in the water." 

Butch winced. It still hurt him to hear what that _klutz_ did to lose them that challenge! 

"So, I'm going to ask you the same question I asked May. Do you think that makes you vulnerable tonight?" Professor Birch asked. 

"Yeah…" Takato replied uncertainly. "But I mean, I hope they aren't basing their votes just on my one challenge performance. I…I could do a lot of things too!" 

"I'm going have to disagree, professor." Butch spoke up, raising his hand. "Takato said that it was _ partially_ his fault why we lost his challenge. But I say it's _entirely_ his fault. We could have, no, we _would_ have won the challenge if he didn't mess up near the end." 

Takato sighed softly, while Brock reached over to give him a comforting pat on the back. 

"So Butch, are you going to base your vote because of what happened in the immunity challenge?" 

"No doubts about it, I'm going to eliminate the weakest link in our tribe." Butch replied, smirking. He glanced over at Takato. "It is what's best for the tribe." 

"TK, let's hear your thoughts." Professor Birch turned towards the blonde. "Do you agree with Butch's assessment? Why should you vote out the weakest link in your tribe?" 

"Butch did make a very good point." TK smiled apologetically at Professor Birch, although it seemed like it was directed at Takato. "It's still really early in the game and we need to keep our tribe strong. If we don't get rid of the weaker players, we're just going to keep losing in the challenges." 

Sitting beside TK, JP was nodding his head in agreement to what the blonde was saying. 

"Professor, I don't like how some of us are trying to project all the blame on Takato." Brock interrupted. He had a disapproving frown on his face. "We lost a lot of time too when we went off in the wrong direction, and personally, I think that mistake cost us more time than what Takato did." 

"Really? Is there anyone to blame for going off in the direction?" Professor Birch prompted. 

"It's our _whole_ tribe's fault. _We_ lost the challenge. There's not one person in particular who should get the blame for losing this challenge." Brock shook his head. "It's only because Takato's mistake happened near the end of the challenge, and that's why it was magnified by some tribe members looking for a scapegoat." 

"That's an interesting perspective to hear." Professor Birch slowly nodded. He clapped his hands. "Okay, it's time to vote. May, you're up first." 

To reach the voting booth, the castaways must first cross a bridge over a narrow and rapid river. May got up and walked across the bridge to where the voting booth was. In front of her was a piece of white parchment and a black marker. She picked up the marker and easily wrote down "Butch" on the parchment without hesitation. It hadn't been a difficult decision for her at all. 

She held up her vote to the cameras and explained why she cast this vote. 

"Butch, I'm voting for you tonight because even though you don't admit it, you're very disrespectful towards women." She stuck her tongue out. "Ever since I've stepped foot on this tribe, you've done nothing but look down on me as if I'm not welcomed in _your _tribe." 

She opened the voting urn and dumped her vote inside. 

"Please, just…just stop it. Stop dismissing me because I'm a girl. Stop treating people based on the poor stereotypes in your close-minded brain." 

TK was the next to vote. True to his alliance, he wrote down "Takato" on the piece of parchment. 

"Sorry, Takato…but at this stage of the game, we need to keep our tribe physically strong. I hope we could stay in touch outside of the game," said TK with a sad smile. He folded his parchment and put it inside the urn. 

JP went next, casting a similar vote for the goggle-headed boy. 

"Hey, little buddy. I think you're a nice kid, but just not that great in the challenges. Sorry." 

Drew and James voted, and then Takato walked up to the voting booth. He picked up the marker and wrote down "Butch" on the parchment. The petite boy held up his vote to the cameras, carrying an uncomfortable smile on his face. 

"Butch, you're kind of negative and bossy. And umm…I think you should've known that being a leader puts a huge target on your back, but being a _bad_ leader will get you voted off." Takato said, sounding a bit shaky. "I didn't really get along with you, but I wish you the best of luck." 

Next to vote was Butch. As the tall and lanky Team Rocket member trotted across the bridge, a wicked smile crept across his face. Here he was, casting his vote to eliminate the nuisance, to eliminate the liability, to eliminate the weakness. There had never been any doubts as to who he wanted to see gone tonight. Butch didn't like Takato ever since he got smacked in the head by the oar and that was before the game even started! 

And so, it surprised nobody when he wrote down Takato's name on the piece of parchment in sharp, jagged letters. 

"Takato, you…" Butch held up his vote to the cameras. "You didn't impress me one bit. I can't even think of one redeeming thing that you did out here. You're weak in the challenges like a _ girl_, you don't do jack around camp chores, and you must be the most socially inept person I've ever met in my life. Why are you even here? You suck." 

As he folded his parchment in half, the thin smirk on Butch's face grew larger and even more sinister than before. 

"There are people in life who succeed, there are people in life who fail, and then there are people like Takato, who basically sucks ass. Goodbye." 

The last person to vote was Brock. He walked up the podium to cast his vote, and predictably, it was for Butch. 

"A leader is supposed to unite a tribe together, but from what I've seen of you so far, you've done nothing but divide this tribe. I suppose your best demonstration of leadership is when you pulled everyone together to gang up against Takato. What class!" Brock said in a sarcastic tone. 

The tanned Pokemon Breeder angrily folded his parchment in half and dumped it in the voting urn. 

"Not only that, but you've no idea how to run the camp. Right now, we're a mess. Three days in, and we still don't have a damn shelter to live in. Our fatigue is what's bringing us down in the challenges, not the physically weaker players. We also barely have any food or protection to keep us surviving for tomorrow, let alone the next several weeks! I...I'm just sick of seeing this tribe turn into a disaster. Butch, you're a _terrible_ leader and you're making Huntail go on a downward spiral." 

And then, Brock smiled. He flashed a thumbs-up to the cameras. 

"It's time for a new sheriff in town." 

- - - 

"I'll go tally the votes," said Professor Birch. 

Professor Birch went and returned with the voting urn. All eight votes have been cast, and one person's dreams were about to be crushed. 

"Once the votes have been read, the person voted out will be asked to leave tribal council immediately." 

He opened the lid of the voting urn and drew out a parchment. 

"First vote," 

He flipped the parchment over. 

"Takato." 

Takato gulped nervously. He didn't want to go home yet. 

"Second vote," said Professor Birch. 

He pulled the second parchment from the container. 

"Butch." 

Butch nodded his head, glancing over at Takato with a smirk on his face. He knew exactly the direction of where that vote came from. 

_ Little bastard,_ he thought to himself. 

"Third vote…" Professor Birch took the vote out and flipped it over. 

"Butch." 

A frown began to form on Butch's face. Behind him, May reached over to squeeze Takato's hand. The petite boy smiled gratefully at her. 

"Fourth vote…" 

"Butch." 

Butch glared at his name on the vote. This has been the third time his name has appeared, and it's starting to even make the confident leader a little uncomfortable. It was too much, too close. 

When he got back to camp, Butch knew he had to talk with some of his tribe members about this. 

"Fifth vote," Professor Birch said as he pulled out another piece of parchment from the urn. This time - it had a different name. 

"Takato." 

No. No. No. 

Takato closed his eyes, trying his best to remain calm, but it wasn't working. He didn't want to go home. He wasn't ready to leave behind the game, the island, and all the friends that he had made. 

"Sixth vote…" 

Professor Birch turned it over, revealing yet another vote with Takato's name on it. 

"Takato." 

The petite boy buried his mouth into his hands, hiding his trembling lips from the other players. There were two more votes left in that urn. If both of the votes contained his name on it, Takato would be the first person voted out of the island. 

He glanced over at Brock and May for reassurance, but they both looked nervous as well. Neither of them knew if their last-minute campaign managed to sway anybody's vote at all. And neither of them knew about the five-person alliance that was formed behind their backs. 

Brock flashed him a weak smile, hinting to Takato to hope for the best. 

Hope was the only thing Takato could do right now. 

"That's three votes for Takato, and three votes for Butch," recapped Professor Birch. He drew out the seventh vote from the urn. "Seventh vote…" 

He turned the parchment over. 

"Butch." 

Butch gasped sharply. That seventh vote caught him _completely_ off guard. He was in an alliance of five! He wasn't supposed to receive more than three votes tonight. 

He turned around to glance at his alliance members. TK and JP looked equally shocked and confused as him, but then Butch caught James' gaze. And he could see inside his evasive green eyes that this was James' vote. This was his doing. He should have expected this from his catty rival all along! Butch should have known better than to trust that no-good, no-honour snake in the grass! 

James had betrayed the Breakfast Club. 

But Butch still had one trace of hope. There was still one vote left in the urn. It might be four votes against four, and it could still be a tie. Butch could still be saved. 

"The eighth and final vote," said Professor Birch as he took out the last parchment in the voting urn. 

Had Butch not been so busy staring at the voting urn as Professor Birch drew out the eighth vote, he would've seen the self-satisfied smile on Drew's face right now. It was the type of triumphant smile that resembled somebody patting themselves on the back. It was the type of arrogant smile that Butch constantly wore on his face until he realized that he was _this_ close to getting voted off. 

If Butch had seen that smile, he would've known it was all over. 

"The first person voted out of the game…" 

Professor Birch revealed the last vote. 

"Butch." 

Takato drew a huge sigh of relief, exchanging happy glances with the equally delighted Brock and May. Their plan worked. Takato was saved. 

"Butch, you'll have to bring me your torch," said the professor. 

The tall and lanky man reluctantly pulled himself from his seat, grabbing his torch from behind him. JP and TK waved him a goodbye, but Butch didn't respond back. He felt humiliated being voted off _first_ and he just didn't care anymore. They voted him out, the mighty leader. And now, he only wished those traitors would all go straight to hell. 

He dragged his feet over to Professor Birch, presenting to the host his weakly lit torch. 

"Butch, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch said as he snuffed Butch's torch. 

Without taking another look or so at his tribe members, Butch marched away into the dense forest, disappearing behind the swarm of trees. 

And then he was gone. 

"Well, you've survived your first tribal council." Professor Birch said to the remaining Huntail tribe members. "For all this talk about keeping your tribe strong, I hope you've made the right decision tonight." 

The professor paused to glance at Takato, who was beaming with joy. 

"You guys can head back to camp, I'll see you tomorrow." 

And as the Huntail tribe disassembled from the tribal council set, a new and subtle shift has suddenly happened to the group dynamics. Brock was now walking in front of everybody else, which was the same location that Butch had positioned himself in during group hikes. The tanned Pokemon Breeder was leading the Huntail tribe back to their camp, followed closely by his pair of allies, Takato and May. Drew and James were behind them, satisfied to be lingering in the middle of the pack. And trailing at the back were TK and JP, isolated from the rest of their tribe. 

With the ashes of a fallen leader, a new one had risen in his place. 

The Huntail tribe should hope that their new leader would be able to lead them into victory. 

- - - 

**_ Butch's Final Words_**

I can't even begin to fathom how pissed off I am at that tribe of losers. I stepped up to the plate as their leader when nobody else would, and they dare to vote me out? Worse yet, they actually kept that obnoxious pipsqueak Takato over me? I'm just baffled with what a stupid decision they've made tonight. You know I'll be laughing at their sorry asses when they keep losing challenges after challenges because of this. 

And so much for that stupid Breakfast Club, to the two bastards who betrayed me, I hope the two of you get voted out next, because as soon as I get a hold of you, you're DEAD! 

- - - 

**_Next time on Survivor –_**

**Delia's health takes a sharp decline…**   
_Casey:_ Oh my god, are you alright?   
(Delia keels over and vomits on the ground. Beside her, Mimi makes a disgusted face.) 

**One tribe wins a breathtaking reward...**   
_Professor Birch:_ Want to know what you're playing for?   
(Something is shown. Drew whistles. Delia claps her hands together in joy.) 

**And two tribe members hook up for a little island romance…**   
(Night time, the women are lying next to each other in the shelter.)   
_Mimi:_ They aren't in the shelter!   
_Cassidy:_ Who's missing?   
_Mimi:_ Takuya and Zoe. 

**_All of this and more on - Episode 2: Two Divided By Love_**

- - - 


	2. Episode 2: Two Divided By Love

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**  


**By: Gomamon**

_**Last Time on Survivor: **_

_A surprising twist at the beginning of the game forced Takuya and May to abandon their old tribes and become leaders of the opposing tribe instead. In the Gorebyss tribe, Cassidy quickly angered some of her tribe members with her aggressive leadership, while Butch annoyed his fellow Huntail members due to a lack of leadership. Some tribe members worried that ill Delia may become a liability, but she was saved when Takato made a fatal mistake at the immunity challenge, causing the Huntail tribe to go to tribal council._

_An alliance was formed by Butch to oust Takato out of the game, but Brock formed a counter-alliance to save Takato from being voted off. At the end, James and Drew went against The Breakfast Club, making Butch the first casualty of the game. Fifteen remain, who will be voted out next?_

**Episode Two: Two Divided By Love**

**Gorebyss: **_CASEY - CASSIDY – DELIA – MIMI – RIKA – SUZIE – TAKUYA – ZOE_

**Huntail: **_BROCK – DREW – JAMES – JP – MAY – TAKATO – TK_

- - -

**DAY 4**

Growing up, there wasn't a moment that TK Takaishi remembered in his life when he didn't love running. When he was a child, he would always beat his brother and the other kids in tag. At school, he was the star runner of the marathon team. And now, even when marooned on an island, TK did not give up his love for running. Every morning, he would just jog aimlessly along the river, enjoying the wonderful sensation of the fresh island breeze pressing on his skin. It gave him the energy that he needed to carry through with the rest of the day.

Sometimes, TK might get lucky and see some of the unique wildlife on this island, such as a swarm of Ledybas dancing merrily in the morning sky, or a pair of Bellsprouts bopping on the ground. But even when there weren't any critters around, TK could still enjoy the glorious sunshine and the breathtaking scenery. The dense forests, the blooming flowers, the endless sea, and the sky-scraping mountains…this was the type of imagery that TK only saw on postcards before. But to actually _experience_ and _live_ in this, TK was grateful. If he could spend every morning in his next thirty six days doing this, he would be very grateful.

_**TK: **You see, there's this long river in our camp that leads out to the ocean. And everyday, I just run along the river to gaze out at the sea. The scenery is breathtaking. I mean, the ocean…it just soothes my mind, as if all my problems will drift away in the water. Besides, you won't see any of this nowhere outside of Dewford Islands, so I must enjoy it as best as I could._

And this morning started out no differently. TK began his morning by jogging along the river, dressed in his white sneakers and white bucket hat. He wasn't being particularly speedy; it was just a leisurely and relaxing scroll. During his jog, he could hear the rapid river waves in his ear, beating like a rhythmic tune in his ears. At one time, he even saw a golden bird – no, it looked more like a golden _phoenix_, soaring mightily in the sky. But TK couldn't identify what species of Pokemon that was. He made a mental note to himself to question Brock about it later today.

But for now, there were other things on his mind.

"Last night was a big eye opener for me, because I didn't expect Butch to leave. JP and I got blindsided at tribal council last night. Nobody told us that they were going to switch votes and keep Takato around." TK confessed. A cameraperson had to run along side with him in order to catch up. "Butch was in the Breakfast Club alliance. I…I truly intended for the five of us to stick together through the end. But now, after one tribal council, it has all fallen apart."

The blonde continued running, although he was slowing down his pace.

"There's really no point of hiding it, it's pretty obvious who was disloyal to our alliance. Drew and James were the traitors. I don't like them for breaking their word with me…but hey, what can I do? I'm in the minority now."

TK flashed the cameras a frustrated smile. His teeth were as white as his bucket hat.

"I don't hold anything against though…they're just playing strategically, I guess. Their actions in this game shouldn't reflect on how they are in real life. I'm sure both Drew and James are great guys outside of this game, and…hey!"

He stopped in the middle of his confessional when he spotted something in the distance. A little Wingull was parked on a tree branch. It had a roll of parchment in its beak.

"We got treemail! This is so cool!" TK laughed, running over to retrieve the mail from Wingull's mouth. The tiny bird dropped the parchment in his hands and then flew away. "My tribe is going to _love_ this!"

_**JP: **TK is the golden boy of Survivor. He's Mr. Perfect with his golden blonde hair, athletic body, and sparkly white teeth. One look at him and I thought I'd hate this guy so bad. But it turns out that TK is a freaking saint, man! He is the nicest guy I've ever met and he has the best personality ever. Like, he's so nice that the dude should have a freaking halo above his head or something._

JP bellowed a laugh. He was leaning against a tall palm tree while giving this confessional.

_**JP: **Just listen to what I'm saying right now, for crying out loud! I'm showering the golden boy with these golden praises. It's so ridiculous!_

By the time TK jogged back to his campsite, Brock and May have also woken up. They were doing their usual duties, cooking breakfast and boiling water for the rest of their tribe. Takato was also up as well, slicing an apple with a knife blade. Ever since Butch's ejection last night, Takato appeared more chipper and jovial than TK ever saw him in the past.

"Good morning, Huntail!" TK smiled pleasantly as he took a seat beside May on the log. May giggled, blushing softly. She always had a soft spot for the handsome blonde.

"Hey TK, glad you're up and running this early!" Brock laughed, handing him a bowl of water.

TK politely thanked Brock as he drank the water. As he was drinking, he couldn't help but notice that there was a small sketch nearby Takato's feet. He looked up and saw Takato holding a drawing stick (that Drew carved) in his hand.

"What's that drawing over there?" TK asked.

"Oh, _that_ is our sketch of what the shelter should look like! We've been working on the blueprint for the entire morning." Brock chuckled. He turned to look at Takato and May with a confident smile. "We're going to start building a shelter after breakfast."

"Wow." TK mumbled, tilting his head to the left to take a closer look at the sketch of their future shelter.

"It's got a roof and everything!" Takato said, pointing at the top part of the drawing with his stick. "And look here, this is going to be where we keep all our firewood…" He moved the drawing stick to the left. "Here, there's going to be where we keep all our containers of food. Pretty cool, huh?"

"It's not just cool, it's _awesome_! I'm glad that we're finally building the shelter after the fourth day. I don't think I can sleep on the sand any longer! It's so dirty and I've all these bugs climbing over my legs!" May griped. She rubbed her legs, which were full of mosquito bites.

"The rest of us are fine except you and TK. Guess they only attack the good looking ones, May!" Brock laughed, while May playfully jabbed him in the ribs. He shuffled through his pockets and pulled out a yellow bottle. "There was some bug repellent in the supplies, may be that'll help."

"Oh my god, Brock! I don't know what we'll do without you around! You're the man!" May laughed.

"I told you, he's like a superhero." Takato grinned widely.

_**Brock: **This is the first time that I felt as if we're coming together as a tribe – a winning tribe. We're finally going to start building an actual shelter today, no more sleeping on the sand and pretending it's comfortable kind of shit. Everybody is getting energized and motivated to do stuff. We're making progress in our tribe. Progress – that's what a team is supposed to be about._

Brock chuckled softly.

_**Brock: **We have a pretty good tribe here since we've gotten rid of Butch. We're stronger now, not weaker. Guess he wasn't that great of a leader after all. I could do better, a lot better._

- - -

The Gorebyss camp was ran in an orderly and organized manner. Of course, there was no room for mistakes with a strict leader like Cassidy. She viewed this tribe no differently from the Team Rocket association teams that she often led in real life. Every morning, she would assign various tasks for her tribe members to do, such as collecting firewood or boiling the water. If somebody slacked off, Cassidy would know. If somebody did more or less than they were supposed to do, Cassidy would also know. And when somebody didn't follow Cassidy's instructions, they were going to get a long lecture from the Team Rocket leader about the importance of obedience and procedure.

Nobody in the tribe dared to defy Cassidy's commands, with the exception of Rika and Suzie. The free-spirited Suzie was merely forgetful, since her mind often drifted off somewhere else when Cassidy was instructing her on what to do. But Rika, the lone wolf, was just plain-out defiant. She didn't slack off from work by any means, although it's understandable how that conclusion could be made. Simply put, Rika just didn't care about Cassidy's long and dreadful instructions. She explained to the cameras that she listened to orders from _nobody_. Not her mother, not her friends, and certainly _not_ Cassidy.

_**Rika: **If Cassidy wants to micromanage every single thing I do in this tribe, then she could kiss my ass._

She sneered, pointing her thumb down to the cameras.

_**Rika: **Unlike how she treats the rest of this tribe, I'm not her bitch._

This morning, Cassidy assigned Delia and Casey to retrieve treemail from the Gorebyss mail box.

"How adorable! This little Wingull has our treemail." Delia smiled. She gently removed the piece of parchment from the bird's beak.

"I can't wait for the next reward challenge so we can begin an unstoppable winning streak," said Casey. She also smiled, flashing a soft dimple on her left cheek.

"I just hope there's no more boats involved like the last challenge. I get seasick when I'm in the water," Delia laughed nervously. "I'm sick enough already, thank you very much."

"Mrs. Ketchum, you've got to step up to the plate! Have some confidence in yourself!" Casey shouted, being unintentionally loud. "Look at me! I'm so pumped about this challenge!"

Delia smiled weakly, brushing a strand of her brown hair from her pale face.

"Please, you can just call me Delia. It makes me feel more comfortable that way."

"I've been taught to always respect my elders by not calling their first names," Casey said, shrugging. "But whatever floats your boat, uh…Delia."

"Elders? I know I'm the oldest castaway, but I'm not _ancient_! I'm not Granny Delia yet!" Delia gasped, putting her hands playfully by her hips. Casey snorted in laughter.

The duo turned around and began to make their way back to camp, with their reward challenge parchment in Delia's hand. Although she might have a weak smile on her face, Delia wasn't feeling particularly bright and chipper today. Despite her optimistic beliefs in the past few days, she still hadn't recovered from the dehydration. She was _still_ throwing up on frequent occasions, although she did her best to do this outside of her tribe member's sight. Her forehead was sweaty, but her hands were cold. Her whole body was trembling, and she felt completely under the weather.

But Delia was trying her best to fit into the tribe. Although the women wanted her to rest in the shelter this morning, Delia insisted that she should get treemail with Casey – just to get a breath of fresh air and to stretch out her tiring legs. She knew that if she didn't make an effort to integrate herself into the tribe, they would vote her off as soon as she loses them an immunity challenge. Most importantly, she just wanted to prove to her tribe members that she wasn't lazy and she wasn't worthless.

_**Casey: **Delia is still feeling sick. She isn't really contributing much to the camp because she feels tired all the time. But you know what, I still like her. She is a great woman with a motherly attitude, and she really makes me feel at home, even when we're out here on this scary island. You can tell that Delia is trying her best to survive out here. She didn't give up just because she threw up so much. And you've got to give her props for that. _

Casey smiled, tilting her Electabuzz baseball cap to the left.

_**Casey: **Besides, we've the number advantage over the other tribe in challenges. Delia could always be a reserve in the immunity challenges. She won't hinder us at all._

By the time Casey and Delia returned with the treemail, all of the tribe members were up and about, working busily on whatever projects they were assigned to. Cassidy and Mimi were nearby the fire, playing around with different ways to cook the apples ("Why don't we make apple juice?" Mimi suggested). Zoe and Suzie were cleaning their dirty clothes by the river, being very careful not to lose any clothing in the rapid current. Takuya and Rika were somewhere in the forest, collecting firewood presumably.

"We've got treemail for our reward challenge!" Casey announced.

Treemail time, like the meals, was important enough for all the present tribe members to stop what they're working on and gather around a circle. Casey unrolled the parchment and cleared her throat.

"Please send one person to meet with Professor Birch for the reward challenge. Gorebyss tribe, the person you send for the reward challenge will be sitting out at the immunity challenge." Casey began. She then stopped. "Uh, that's all there is. Weird, I was expecting an awkward rhyme like last time."

"Ah! We only have to send one person to the reward challenge?" Mimi said in surprise. "We aren't going together as a tribe? That sucks!"

"I could go, if that's what you girls want. I want to beat the guys again." Zoe volunteered.

"This is an easy decision." Cassidy said dismissively. She turned her head to look at Delia. "I think Delia should go compete in the reward challenge."

"Me?" Delia sounded surprised herself. She had a confused expression on her face. "I'm sorry, but shouldn't someone healthier take my place instead?"

Cassidy smirked as she planted a hand on Delia's right shoulder.

"Delia, if you compete in the reward challenge, then you can sit out at the immunity challenge, and you won't cause us to go to tribal council. Get it?" She said this very slowly, almost in a condescending manner, just so Delia could understand every word.

"Oh, I see. It's actually a pretty good idea." Delia smiled weakly. But in reality, she didn't like the extra pressure on herself at all. Competing in a solo challenge was just too much to ask for!

Delia wasn't the only person who felt uncomfortable about the decision. Standing behind the Pallet Town mother, Zoe Orimoto was twitching with uneasiness after Cassidy dictated her choice. For the past few days, the blonde bombshell has been holding her sharp tongue from saying how she _really_ felt about certain things. She didn't want to create a commotion and she didn't want to spark up a confrontation. If there was one thing Zoe knew about herself, it was that she knew her honesty would get her in a lot of trouble. So whenever Cassidy did something she didn't like, Zoe would just smile and shrug it off. No need to stir the pot.

But this time, Zoe found it more difficult to just sit back and watch Cassidy take charge again. Here was the bossy lady making all the decisions of the tribe and nobody had the courage to speak up against her. The Gorebyss tribe was making the wrong decision about the reward challenge, she just knew this. Zoe knew she had to say something to stop them, or at least give them a fair warning about what they're about to do.

_**Zoe: **I think it was a bad idea for us to send Delia to participate the individual reward challenge, because she is ill and not in the best physical shape. She won't get any help from us, and she'll most likely lose that challenge for us. I thought it would be a better choice if Gorebyss sent someone who could at least have a chance against the other tribe, because…_

She clenched her fist tightly.

_**Zoe: **Because I don't want us to lose this challenge. I don't like the prospect of losing one bit._

"I don't know, the reward could be something really big…shouldn't we at least _try_ to win the reward challenge?" Zoe asked.

"And give up immunity because of a stupid reward?" Cassidy laughed, rolling her eyes. "Are you insane or what?"

"Delia has to compete by herself in the reward challenge, but she can rely on six of us at the immunity challenge though," Zoe argued.

"I think Zoe is right!" Suzie suddenly interjected her opinion out of nowhere.

Cassidy glared at the purple-haired child for a moment and then rolled her eyes. She quickly returned her focus on Zoe again.

"And if we lose the immunity challenge, then we've to go to tribal council. We'll have to vote out someone and that very someone could be _you_." Cassidy said. She didn't look very impressed with the blonde. "Do you want to risk it?"

"We might not win the immunity challenge even if Delia didn't participate in it!" Zoe was raising her voice. She was starting to get aggressive.

"True, but if she did participate in it, we'll have _no_ chance of winning. Do you hear me?" Cassidy raised her voice even louder, drowning out whatever Zoe was saying before.

Zoe bit her lips. She turned to look at her other tribe members, and all of them looked very uneasy watching this disagreement. Zoe could already imagine what they were thinking in their heads: _Why is she creating a scene? Why can't she just agree with Cassidy?_ And it was then she decided it wasn't worth losing her peers' respect just to continue with this pointless confrontation.

Fine, she'll let Cassidy have her way.

Again.

- - -

When Drew arrived at the reward challenge as the representative from the Huntail tribe, he was surprised at two things that he saw on the beach. First was the sight of Delia Ketchum, the most unlikely contender the opposing tribe would choose. Drew expected that he would compete with the better athletes of that tribe, like Cassidy or Takuya, but Delia Ketchum didn't fit into the criteria. No, Drew would explain to the cameras that Delia was in a completely different league, playing a completely different game. _What a stupid choice!_ He almost wanted to laugh at the other tribe in ridicule.

But it was the second thing he saw that shocked him the most. There were two white boats parked at sea, presumably part of whatever the reward challenge was. But these weren't just any boats – not the cheap canoes they rode in the previous challenges. These boats were _motorboats._

"Welcome to the Reward Challenge!" Professor Birch announced, smiling. "As you could see, we'll be doing the reward challenges a little differently from now on. It's going to be one versus one at every reward challenge until the merge. If you win the challenge, you'll win the reward for your entire tribe"

"It's a lot of pressure on us, Professor Birch!" Delia laughed nervously. Standing beside her, Drew just smirked.

"For today's challenge, each of you will ride on these motorboats in the ocean." Professor Birch said, gesturing towards the two white motorboats behind him. "You've to go around each of the three checkpoints in order, which are the three green buoys floating at sea." A quick shot of buoy #2 is shown in the water. "After going through all three checkpoints, drive your boat back to shore. It'll be a race for the fastest time. Whoever is the quickest will win the reward for their tribe."

"I've got it made." Drew grinned confidently.

"What's that?" Delia exchanged a confused glance at the Pokemon Coordinator.

"I said that I already have this challenge won. Sorry old lady!" Drew laughed. He raised his hand. "Professor, I want to go first."

"That was a bold statement to make. You sound pretty cocky, don't you?" Professor Birch narrowed his eyes at the green-haired boy.

"Not cocky, I'm _confident_. There's a difference between the two." Drew explained.

"Anyway," Professor Birch darted a stern glare towards Drew's direction. "Want to know what you're playing for? We wanted to start the reward challenges with something _big_."

Delia nodded her head excitedly, although she already had a wild guess in her mind.

"For those who want to explore the waters a little bit, what is a better reward than a personal motorboat for your own camp?" Professor Birch grinned. "That's right. The winning tribe will receive a motorboat, personally delivered to your camp the next day."

Drew whistled, sounding impressed. Delia clapped her hands together with joy.

"Is the reward worth playing for?" Professor Birch smiled, while the other two nodded their heads. "I thought so. Okay, let's get started. Drew, you're up first."

An excited Drew ran over to the sea and leapt into one of the white motorboats. He was sitting in the driver's seat and clutched his hands to the black steering wheel. The boat itself was petite and roofless, and it was shaped like a stretched pentagon. It was not a boat designed for racing in the water, so this challenge depended on how skilful the driver would be at navigating the boat.

"On your marks, get set…begin!"

Once Professor Birch gave the signal, Drew immediately departed from shore. The first checkpoint was floating distantly to the left, so Drew steered his boat towards that direction with ease. He navigated through the sea with agility, having no problem with the controls or whatsoever. It seemed obvious that he had experience driving a motorboat before this challenge.

Within seconds, Drew breezed past the first green buoy. He steered his motorboat to make a flawless right turn. He was heading towards the second checkpoint with no problems. Watching from the shorelines, Delia was growing increasingly apprehensive as she watched that boy navigate the boat like a pro. There was no way she could master driving this moat in seconds. There was no way she could win this challenge against someone like Drew!

"Wow, just look at him! That boy is born to be in the seas," Delia laughed.

Once Drew passed the second buoy, he delayed some valuable time when he had trouble finding the third checkpoint. He drove in the wrong direction once before he corrected himself. He reversed the boat and crossed the third checkpoint. And then, he made his way back to shore unscathed.

"What's my time?" Drew asked as he hopped out of his motorboat.

"One minute and thirty two seconds." Professor Birch said, looking at the blue timer that he was holding. He then turned to Delia. "This is the time to beat, Delia. If you could finish the course in less than one minute and thirty two seconds, the motorboat is yours."

"I'd be happy if I finished this within five minutes." She joked.

"Drive safely. Don't forget to put on your seatbelt, Mrs. Ketchum." Drew added. Although his words seemed considerate, it was evident from his tone that Drew was being unnecessarily sarcastic. Professor Birch shot him another glare, which silenced the mouthy Pokemon Coordinator.

Delia climbed onto the motorboat next and took a deep breath. One minute and thirty two seconds – that was the time to beat.

"On your marks, get set…go!"

Unlike how Drew performed at the beginning of the challenge, Delia was already stumbling as soon as she ignited the engine. Struggling with the steering wheel, she was unaware that her boat driving at the wrong direction. It should've been a red flag when she hit a green buoy so soon, because she had arrived at the third checkpoint instead of the first.

"Oh darn! Wrong checkpoint!" Delia smacked her forehead, turning her boat around awkwardly to get back on path.

It took her a long time to reach the first checkpoint, and an even longer time to arrive at the second checkpoint since she got lost again. By the time she got comfortable with the gears and settings, it was just too late. She passed through the third checkpoint and made her way back.

"I know I did poorly." Delia grinned. "I just don't know _how_ bad I was."

"Yeah, it looked pretty bad from here too," Drew chuckled.

Professor Birch looked at the red stopwatch that he was holding. As much as he wanted to announce that Delia had the fastest speed just to wipe that arrogant smirk off Drew's face, he had no choice but to announce the obvious and official results. It was part of his responsibility as host to remain neutral, despite personal bias and attachment to certain players.

"Delia, your time is three minutes and fifty seven seconds." Professor Birch frowned. "Sorry Delia, but that means Drew has the faster time. Huntail wins reward!"

"What did I tell you before the challenge started?" Drew smirked.

"Only a true winner shows humility after a victory." Delia said, smiling weakly. "Remember that, Drew."

"Well, they say that the tortoise beat the hare because it was slow and steady…guess that wasn't the case either. It _certainly_ didn't help you." Drew laughed. He flipped his green hair behind his shoulders.

Professor Birch cleared his throat. Enough was enough.

"Delia, I've nothing for you unfortunately. Drew, your motorboat will be delivered to your camp first thing in the morning. You can both head back to your camps."

As the two participants head back to camp, Professor Birch took a brief glance at Drew, who was walking back to the Huntail camp with a bouncy skip in his steps. The boy was gloating triumphantly, looking as if he would drown in his own pool of self-satisfaction. Later today, Drew would arrive back at camp with the good news, and he would then indulge in even more ego-boosting celebration from his tribe members.

He knew that he wasn't supposed to develop favourites and he wasn't supposed to let his personal feelings get in the way of impartial hosting. But starting from now on, Professor Birch was secretly rooting for Drew to _lose_.

- - -

Delia had some bad news for her tribe members when she arrived at camp. And although most of them expected it, she still didn't want to be the one who delivered it. It made her even sadder when she saw that her entire tribe was waiting for her to come back from the challenge with the results. She decided that the pain would last shorter if she didn't get their hopes up.

"I lost the reward challenge." Delia dropped her head in shame. "Sorry girls."

_**Delia: **It's like pulling a Band-Aid over a wound. It wouldn't sting my tribe members as bad if I just told them the news immediately. I mean, I just want to get it over with. This wasn't a good day for me. I just lost the reward challenge for my tribe, and it was a huge reward too. I feel like throwing up…literally._

"It wasn't your fault, Mrs. Ketchum!" Suzie said, running over to give the single mother a gigantic hug.

Delia smiled. Suzie always had a knack at comforting people, even when they're feeling down. It was a special trait that made her so special to the rest of the tribe.

"What was the reward?" Rika asked in an indifferent tone.

"It was a motorboat…" Delia sighed. Some of her tribe members looked shocked. "Yes, an actual motorboat for our own tribe."

"Oh." Rika responded flatly.

"Well, don't worry!" Casey smiled, trying her best to bring some optimism after the defeat. "We'll beat them for sure in the immunity challenge."

"Who needs a stupid motorboat anyway? We already have a canoe in our tribe and we never use it!" Mimi added.

"Besides, the river is too rapid. Their boat will get wrecked for sure after one ride! What a waste of a reward!" Casey widened her grin.

"Thanks. You don't need to cheer me up, really." Delia smiled weakly. "I…I…" She paused, as she started to twitch. "Excuse me."

Delia ran towards the nearest tree and kneeled down. The rest of the tribe members looked at her in a combination of confusion and fascination. Several mumbled their concerns, but they didn't realize what she was doing until she started to vomit.

"Eww!" Mimi quickly turned away. She made a disgusted face at the rest of her tribe members.

"Oh my god, are you alright?" Casey asked.

It took a minute or so before Delia stopped throwing up at the tree. But at last, she pulled herself together and returned to the rest of her tribe. Her head was shamefully pointed down. She couldn't look at any of them in the eyes.

"Sorry, I was just a little bit seasick after riding the motorboat." She sighed again.

"Somebody has to clean that up." Cassidy said, pointing at the place where Delia was keeling over a minute ago. "It's going to attract bugs and I don't want that in the tribe."

Mimi made another disgusted face. Just the thought of getting anywhere near the vomit disgusted her.

_**Rika: **She's throwing up all over the place, she's the laziest around camp, and she is losing all these challenges for us. Delia might be a great mother figure around camp, but she isn't holding up to the environment out here. _

As always, Rika didn't express any emotions while giving a camera confessional. It was hard to tell if she even liked Delia or not.

_**Rika: **She could be the queen of Pallet Town for all I care, but I'm not afraid to get rid of the weakest link if it'll make our tribe stronger._

After a while, Rika excused herself from the rest of her tribe. She disappeared into the forest, mumbling something about collecting firewood for their camp. She was a worker bee and she definitely didn't like sitting on her ass just to chit-chat. In her opinion, talking wouldn't get any fires started or any water boiled around camp. Why waste so much time talking when she could get some productive work done?

"There should be a little less conversation and a bit more action." Rika said to the cameras. It might not be her intention to do so, but she always came off as bitter and vindictive every time she spoke.

The rest of her tribe barely noticed Rika's absence. Since the first day they've met her, she has always been a lone wolf. Rika has always done things based on her schedule. She might come off as a bit standoffish, but they've gotten used to her. Plus, she always gets a lot of work done around camp. That's always a good plus.

The other seven tribe members remained in their circle, conversing in minor discussions here and there. They strayed from topics to topic, just talking about any random things that popped up at the top of their heads ("Is blonde _really_ your natural hair colour, Zoe?"). Eventually, something of interest was brought up in the middle of their conversations.

"Who did the other tribe sent? They didn't have to sit out in the immunity challenge, do they?" Takuya asked curiously.

"Huntail's representative was Drew. And no, they don't have to sit out the next challenge." Delia replied. She frowned. "I didn't like that boy very much. He was very unpleasant to be with."

"Why's that?" Cassidy asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Before the challenge even started, Drew was so confident that he'd win it. Overconfident would be the better word. He boasted his abilities and taunted my loss." Delia shrugged. "If my son acted like that, I'd give him a long lesson about being humble with his victories."

"What a jerk! And to think that I thought he was cute earlier!" Mimi gasped.

"I lost a lot of respect from him because of that." Delia shook her head. "It's one thing to celebrate your victory, but to act like Drew…I don't know. It's classless."

"Drew doesn't know the tribe that he's messing with." Cassidy nodded her head, trying her best to hide a smirk.

_**Cassidy: **I know Delia is upset about this, but I'm having a blast hearing her talk about this Drew guy. He reminds me a lot of how Butch acts like. May be she actually got the names wrong, because her description of Drew sounds a lot like the Butch that I know of! Cocky, egoistical and arrogant – yep, I bet this Drew kid would really get along with Butch._

Cassidy grinned. She didn't mind mercilessly trashing her friend in her confessional, because she knew they'd have a good time laughing about it together after the show was over. Unfortunately, she wasn't aware that her friend and partner-in-crime Butch has already been voted off at the last tribal council.

All hell was going to break loose when she finds out that it was Drew who voted out her best friend.

_**Cassidy: **I don't know how Butch is doing in the other tribe, but I bet he's the top dog around there. And when we unite together at the merge, he'll have his union of minions and I'll have mine. And then, ladies and gentlemen, we're going to kick everybody's asses. Yeah, Team Rocket rocks!_

"Well, I always thought Drew looked like a major asshole, if you could find any consolation in that," said Takuya.

Sitting beside him, Zoe grinned impishly at her friend. Only she had the right sense of humour to get Takuya's jokes and antics. The others might find the impulsive goggle-head to be a little too weird and vulgar with some of the things he says and does. But in Zoe's mind, they just didn't _get_ Takuya at all.

"I can't say I'm overly impressed with that boy." Delia sighed again.

"Can I declare Drew as the official sworn enemy of Huntail? Can I?" Takuya joked as he formed a fist with his right hand.

"Oh Takuya…" Zoe giggled softly as she put her arm on his shoulder. "You're such a _guy_." 

- - -

**DAY 5**

For the first time since he arrived on Dewford Island, Brock finally had a good night of sleep.

Brock would admit that it was difficult to play Survivor, especially if you live in the Huntail tribe. For the past few days, this scattered team had no shelter, had no food, and had no security against the dangerous wilderness. They lacked the direction and the work ethics to get any work done. If somebody asked the sarcastic Pokemon Breeder how he felt about this tribe, Brock wouldn't hesitate to say that his tribe was not only a mess, it was a _disaster_. But that would've been his answer a few days ago. This morning, Brock had a different opinion about his tribe.

"I'm not going to lie to you two. I actually got a few hours of sleep yesterday night, which was a pleasant change!" Brock laughed. His friends Takato and May sat behind him on a long log, both of them were preparing apple slices for breakfast.

Like every morning in the past, the hard-working Pokemon Breeder was kneeling over the fire, carefully tending to the flame. It had become his little mission to never let this fire die out. On rainy nights, he would cover their campfire with a pot before he went to sleep. Not only was it crucial for cooking and boiling water, fire also represented the symbol of life in this game. And under _no_ circumstances was Brock willing to let the life die out from this tribe.

"Our tribe is unstoppable now!" Brock concluded with a toothy grin.

The tanned man had been in good spirits ever since the Huntail tribe finished constructing their shelter yesterday night. For the past few days, Brock was fed up with the laziness and the aimlessness that corrupted the camp. But instead of just bitching endlessly about it, he decided to do something to improve their camp status. Building the shelter was exactly the event that was needed to pull his tribe together. It was a _team_ project and it emphasized on _team_ unity. After they finished building the shelter, Huntail finally felt like an actual _team_.

"Now that we'vefinally built a shelter, it means that there will be no more nights of sleeping in the sand!" May said. She clapped her hands together happily.

"No more nights of sleeping in the rain," added Takato, smiling.

"No more nights of waking up with an aching back," said Brock.

"No more nights of having bugs crawl all over my body." May shivered at the thought of those pestering insects.

"No more nights of getting sand in places I couldn't even talk about," Brock chuckled.

"Ew! That's gross, Brock!" Takato made a face, half-laughing and half-disgusted at the same time.

_**May: **Yesterday, the seven of us worked through morning till night just to build a shelter in our camp. It has a roof and a floor and it's so awesome. I think it's great to have a place you can call home around here. After we finished building, I felt so proud of myself! I mean…I built something! I actually built something with my two hands!_

May laughed as she waved both her hands at the camera.

_**May: I**t was the most work I've ever done in my life, but it was entirely worth it when I went to sleep last night. Oh my god, it was so comfortable to actually be sleeping on a flat surface instead of the sand! I can't believe it took us five days before our senses came to us! What were we thinking? We should've built the shelter on our first day!_

"I think I see TK!" Takato said, pointing his finger at the vague figure running along the river.

TK was making his way back to camp after he finished with his daily jog. His blonde hair was neatly tucked under a creamy white hat, his athletic body clutched nicely to a snowy white tracksuit, and his athletic legs ran in a pair of dirty white sneakers. It would be difficult for an average person to transform this colourless outfit into a radiant presence, but the handsome blonde managed to do just that with the help of his dreamy eyes and energetic smile. When TK smiled, his blue eyes would squint slightly downwards and his mouth would open widely, revealing a set of sparkly white teeth.

The athletic blonde looked up at the trio by the fire, smiled, and waved at them. While Takato and May returned the friendly gesture, Brock just sat there with an amused expression on his face.

"How does that guy do it? He could run for hours and he still comes back looking like someone in a modelling catalogue." Brock chuckled as he watched TK run towards them. "He probably smells like roses too."

"That's because he's the golden boy of Survivor!" May giggled.

Takato threw an odd glance at her, looking very confused.

"JP made that nickname for TK." May quickly explained. She shrugged her shoulders. "I thought it was funny."

"Good morning, Huntail." TK smiled energetically, taking a seat beside May. He turned to her excitedly. "Guess what I found by the river today!"

"Did the motorboat arrive?" May asked.

"Oh yeah!" TK nodded his head and grinned. "And it looks spectacular!" He gestured his thumb over his left shoulder. "The boat is parked somewhere there by the river. It was there when I woke up this morning."

"This is so cool! We've an actual motorboat in our camp!" Takato giggled.

"Somebody needs to wake Drew up. That kid would be pleased to know that his boat finally arrived." Brock grinned.

"Oh please." May rolled her eyes, showing a bit of disdain for her Coordinator rival. "I'm surprised his shoulder didn't fall off from all the self-patting he did last night, boasting about his stupid victory against Delia."

- - -

After everybody ate breakfast, Drew suggested to his tribe that they should take a ride on their brand new reward. Some of his tribe members politely declined the offer, preferring to dwell on land. But Drew was accompanied by the trio of Brock, Takato and May. He would privately comment that those three were almost inseparable everywhere they went in the camp ("They're like the evil three-headed monster, Cerberus", Drew joked). Brock would always lead the group, and following closely behind him would be Takato and May. Nonetheless, Drew was glad that he had company with him on the boat.

_**Drew: **I won the reward challenge yesterday, so we're going to have a new motorboat in our camp, all thanks to me. When I was young, my dad used to have a boat like this and he took me to the sea all the time. The sea is almost like my second home. Ah yes, I'm very excited about exploring the magnificent river in our camp. This narrow and rapid river is…hmm, it resembles like a tropical snake. Long, curvy and just by looking at it, you know there is danger lurking within its mouth._

The motorboat was exactly the same model used in the reward challenge. It was petite in size, but big enough to fit four people inside. Drew climbed into the boat first, planting himself right behind the steering wheel. Brock sat beside him, holding a map in his hands. And behind them were May and Takato, the backseat passengers. Takato took the extra effort to buckle the seatbelt around his waist. Better safe than sorry was always his motto.

"Welcome to another episode of May's Expedition! Today, we'll be exploring this mysterious river in our camp," said May. She held her index finger and thumb at right angles, forming a little square when she put both her hands together. She placed the square right over her left eye and spoke as she looked through the imaginary camera lens. "It has been suspected that this river leads out into the wild and dangerous ocean. What danger awaits us outside? Will any of us make back to camp…_alive?_"

"Aren't you a little too old for this make-believe stuff?" Drew asked, looking down at May with ridicule.

"Wow, what do we have here?" May leaned over and focused her imaginary camera lens on Drew. "Could this be one of those loud-mouth Pelippers whose habitat is on this island? I wonder why it has green hair and speaks like an irritating jerk. Could it be ill?"

"Ha ha. You're so funny." Drew said dryly. He rolled his emerald green eyes as May returned to her seat, wearing a triumphant smirk on her face.

Drew turned the boat to its right and drove in the direction where the narrow river widens. He found that he didn't even have to accelerate because the rapid sea waves were strong enough to move the boat. But since there were many sharp turns in this long and unwinding river, Drew had to keep his hands tightly around the steering wheel. The passengers were having a much more relaxing time as they gazed dreamily into the ocean, absorbing all of the island scenery in awe.

"Now I could see why TK runs by this river everyday. The scenery is so beautiful here!" May squealed. She already had abandoned her cameraperson persona.

"It's amazing, isn't it?" Brock grinned at her.

As the boat traveled farther down the river, they all noticed the subtle changes to the river. The width of the river has increased and the curves have lessened. The rapid river currents have surprisingly slowed down to a much steadier pace. And it was only a while later before Brock studied his map and realized that they were no longer in the river that flowed in their camp. They were now in the middle of the Dewford Ocean.

"The problem with the river in our camp is that its currents are too fast. No fish could ever live in that river," said Brock. "But this ocean is a whole different story. There are calmer waves and cleaner water, so there'll be more fish living inside. If only we've some fishing rods, we could bring back seafood for dinner tonight!"

"I'll sculpt some fishing poles for us when we get back," said Drew, the self-appointed craftsman of his tribe.

_**Brock: **Now that we've the motorboat, the ocean out there is easily accessible. Now if we are able to build some fishing rods, we might be able to catch some fish! It's another source of food, so we won't always have to eat just corn and rice for our meals. I believe fish will give us the protein and the energy to do well in challenges, so I'm going to try my best to provide my tribe with it – tons of it. My dear friend Misty taught me a lot about fishing, hopefully all those lessons will pay off!_

Brock laughed, running a hand through his spiky hair.

_**Brock: **But we've discovered something better than fish on our trip. We actually found a tiny island in the middle of nowhere!_

"Oh my god, I can't believe there's another island here! This island is right by _our_ island too!" May said in astonishment.

"If my proficiency in history didn't fail me, I believe this is Shipwreck Island." Brock explained. "A cruise crashed here long ago and all the shipwreck survivors lived here for several months before they got rescued." He then smiled. "If we're lucky, we might be able to find some useful tools they've left behind!"

"This is turning out to be the best day ever!" Takato giggled.

Drew drove the tiny motorboat towards Shipwreck Island until it arrived on its sandy shoreline. Brock and Drew had to park the boat together, tying the boat engine to a nearby boulder so it wouldn't drift away. May and Takato dispersed immediately, gasping in awe as they ran around the mysterious island.

"Seel! Seel!"

Takato turned around and saw two white seal-like Pokemon lying lazily on the sand with their eyes closed. Both of them have a short white horn on their heads. Takato cautiously tiptoed towards them for a closer look. One of the Seel opened its black marble eyes, gazed dreamily at Takato and then winked at him. It closed its eye again and drifted back to its relaxed daydreaming.

"Hey May, are these Pokemon called Seel?" Takato asked curiously.

"I think they are." May said as she walked towards the Pokemon to examine them. "Oh, I wished I have my Pokedex with me!"

"Of course they're Seels! Are you people deaf or are you just stupid? Can't you hear what they're saying?" Drew rolled his eyes. "Seels are often found asleep on the seabed in shallow water. They'll probably be in the water again when the sea is at a high tide."

"Oh wow, that's so cool." Takato smiled. He turned to Brock. "Can I pat them?"

"They're usually very friendly Pokemon, so go ahead. Just don't pinch its skin or pluck its fur or anything stupid like that." Brock said, "They'll attack you if they feel like they're in danger."

Takato kneeled down next to one of the Seels and gently placed a hand on its back. The Seel let out a soft moan, but did not move from its position.

"Their fur is so comfortable!" Takato grinned. "It feels like…a beanie baby."

"You know what I'm thinking?" Brock licked his lips. "We should probably hunt some of these Seels and bring them back to tribe for food!"

"That's a fantastic idea! I heard Seels are quite nutritious once you cut out all its blubber." Drew said, as a thin smirk spread across his face.

"No!" Takato suddenly sprang up from his knees. He shot an uncomfortable glare at Brock and Drew. "You can't harm the Seels! They're…they're creatures – not human food!"

"Takato…you want something to eat other than corn and rice, right?" Brock asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Not if it means killing one of the Seels!" Takato frowned. "I'm not a vegetarian, but…I don't think we should harm these animals in their natural habitats." He shook his head frantically at the thought of Brock and Drew skinning these friendly animals. "It's just not right."

Brock and Drew exchanged glances with each other, unsure of what to say. May just had a vacant expression on her face.

"Takato, you know that the food we eat in our everyday life is actually-" Drew began, but he was interrupted by Brock.

"You're right, Takato. We won't hurt these animals." Brock smiled artificially at the goggle-head, and Takato smiled back. "Don't worry."

_**Drew: **I know Takato doesn't want to hunt the Seels because human interference will disturb the Seels' habitat on Shipwreck Island. I fully understand his logic and his beliefs behind this. But isn't it a bit naïve and even foolish for us to starve to death, just so we could preserve nature or whatever? I mean, the people on Shipwreck Island obviously must've killed Seels to stay alive and I don't see why it's any different for us to do so. We need to eat too!_

Drew flipped his green hair over his shoulder as a crooked smile spread across his face.

_**Drew: **Brock and I decided that we'll just kill the Seels at another time, when Takato isn't watching us. Hey, we're doing that kid a favour. What Takato doesn't know won't hurt him, right?_

- - -

When it came to camp chores, it always seemed like the Gorebyss tribe was one head ahead of the Huntail tribe. They built the campfire before the other tribe and they built their shelter before the other tribe. Now, it looked as though they would make their first hunt before the other tribe. And for a competitive person like Takuya Kanbara, this was a good thing. It felt good to be first.

"I think I see a Taillow in that tree!" Suzie gasped.

"Hush! You'll scare it away!" Rika angrily scowled at her bubbly companion. She then turned to Takuya. "Are you ready, goggle-head?"

"As ready as I'll ever be," whispered Takuya.

Rika drew out an arrow from her bag and handed it over to Takuya, who set it on his wooden bow. He closed his right eye and scanned the trees for his prey, until he located a lone Taillow resting obliviously on a tree, chirping a melodious tone. In one swift motion, Takuya pulled the string and fired the arrow. It shot the Taillow right in the chest. The tiny bird Pokemon let one last tiny shriek from its body before dropping onto the floor, dead.

"Yay for Takuya!" Suzie screamed, jumping up and down excitedly.

"Yes! We're going to have roast bird tonight for dinner, baby!" Takuya laughed, pumping his fist triumphantly in the air.

"Good job, you big loser," snickered Rika, playfully shoving the goggle-head by his shoulder.

_**Takuya: **Rika and I have been hunting in the forest lately. The blades of our knives have fallen off, so instead, we attached them to a long stick – and voila, we made an arrow! The bow was a little harder to make because we had to get the shape right and we had to use fishing line as the bowstring. But it's all good! We have the bows and the arrows to hunt whatever animals we want! _

Takuya grinned. He held up an arrow in front of the cameras – the same arrow that he shot the Pidgey on the tree with. There were still blood stains on some parts of the arrow.

_**Takuya: **I fire an arrow and these birds drop dead from the trees. It's awesome that we're bringing back lots of food back to our camp. Man, I feel like I'm the Robin Hood of Survivor!_

"You know everybody will be so freaked out when we bring back these animals to camp!" Takuya grinned. He ran over and picked up the bloody body of the Taillow, wrapping it around his crimson red buff. "All this time, they think we're in the forest collecting firewood!"

"They should be happy. We're providing them with food." Rika said in a flat voice.

"I bet Mimi will find a good way too cook this." Takuya said. "I want to have a feast today!"

"Takuya, I don't think one bird will be enough for a _feast_." Rika sniped.

"Piece of cake! We'll just shoot more birds," Takuya said, turning his head around. His confident voice suddenly lost its volume. "That is…if we could find any more…"

And out of a sudden, Suzie started dancing on the spot. She closed her eyes and swayed her body left and right as if she was moving in a trance. Her arms were waving randomly in the air and her head was bopping up and down. Takuya dropped his mouth in shock as he watched Suzie dancing on the spot.

"Uh…Suzie, what the hell are you doing?" Takuya asked.

"I'm doing my bird dance!" Suzie giggled.

"Bird dance?" Rika repeated with a raised eyebrow. She spoke as if she hadn't heard Suzie properly the first time.

"Yeah! If I dance like this, more birds will come!" Suzie explained. She was now hopping up and down in the same spot like an energetic rabbit.

"Of course, the bird dance always works! Why didn't I think of that earlier?" Takuya said, smacking his own forehead lightly. "Duh!"

Takuya looked over at Rika with a lopsided grin. She just shook her head and looked away, mumbling something inaudible to the cameras.

_**Suzie: **I'm having a really, really good time on this island! At first, I thought the people here would be really mean to me just because I'm the tiniest and the youngest. But everybody is so nice to me and I just love Gorebyss! How much do I love my tribe? Let me count the ways._

Suzie giggled girlishly and held up ten stubby fingers. She began counting them off one by one.

_**Suzie: **I love the name Gorebyss. I love the colour red. I love the shelter that we built together. I love the food that we eat together. I love the girl power. I love the smiles on everybody's faces. And most of all, I love my tribe members. I love every single one of them._

- - -

The four people on the motorboat ride did not return from their expedition yet, so there was an unusually quiet atmosphere in the vacant Huntail camp. James liked this type of solitude, away from the chattering, away from the cliques, away from the paranoia that swarmed the tribe. That was why James didn't join the others on the boat trip today. Sometimes, he just needed to escape from reality and have a little personal time for himself.

He needed a time for reflection.

Last tribal council, James voted out his Team Rocket rival Butch. It was a spontaneous decision that he had made with Drew in the very last minute before tribal council. Whether it was a good game move or not was still up in the air. He got rid of the person he despised, although he had to side with the cliquish twerps in order to achieve this. Was the payoff worth it? He wouldn't know until he won or lost the game. But James had realized that as long as a dictator like Butch was in the tribe, he would just be one of Butch's many puppets, disposable at any given time.

James didn't want to be anybody's puppet, a pitiful spare vote that could be easily replaced. He was a man of his own free mind. That was why he ran away from his prestigious home when he was young. He wanted freedom from his parents' domineering grasp, freedom from structure and order, freedom from the pressure that society laid upon his kind. Joining the treacherous Team Rocket organization provided him a taste of what he wanted, but if James wanted to be truly free – he needed money, lots of it. And although he was considered as a criminal, James was still a very moral person. He didn't want money to be handed over to him on his parents' silver platter. He wanted to _earn_ the money that he actually _worked_ for.

That was why James needed to win this game. He wouldn't be just winning the money. He would also be winning his freedom.

_**James: **I want to win the money so badly that I can almost taste it. It's just Day 5 of the game and I'm probably looking too ahead in the future, but…yeah, I want it. And I'll do whatever it takes to win. If I have to backstab my allies in order to improve my position, then I'll do it without an ounce of remorse. They're not my real friends, why should I care about them?_

James shrugged his shoulders. He flashed an enigmatic smile to the cameras.

_**James: **It's Survivor, not a soup kitchen. Only the strong will survive._

James was resting in their newly built shelter, happily engrossed in his solitary reflection. Unfortunately for him, solitude was a difficult thing to find in the busy game of Survivor.

"Hey James, we'd like to talk with you."

The young Team Rocket member sighed when he saw TK and JP standing outside of the shelter, both wearing a serious expressions on their faces. James couldn't even distinguish the identity of the voice. They both sounded pretty much the same to him.

"What is it?" He asked as he reluctantly dragged himself out of the shelter.

"It's just a man-to-man talk, from one dude's heart to another." JP said, pounding his fist to his chest twice. He sat down inside the shelter. "Come, sit with us."

A wary James took a seat, right in between JP and TK. Suddenly, James found himself sandwiched between both of the men. He instantly knew what this little meeting was about. Move over, self reflection - it was time for interrogation.

"James, why did you vote Butch out at the last tribal council?" JP asked, getting straight to the point.

"We had an alliance of five," added TK.

"Err…well, you see…" James began, although he didn't know how to end this sentence. He sighed, "Butch was _so _annoying."

JP had a bemused expression on his face.

"That's it? You backstabbed the poor guy because he was annoying?" He yelled, sounding a lot more loudly than he intended to.

"I didn't like him either, but at least Butch didn't go back against his word to our alliance," said TK. He shot James a dirty glare, "Unlike you, James."

"He was going to screw me over next, I just had a feeling." James shrugged his shoulders.

"Dude, that's an awful excuse." JP shook his head.

"As soon as Butch has power, he would have corrupted. He's a power-hungry leader and I wasn't going to be one of his mindless followers!" James replied hysterically. He paused for a few seconds and then added, "Unlike you, TK."

"Wow. Just wow." TK shook his head, clearly looking surprised at what James just said.

_**TK: **After last tribal council, both JP and I realized that James was playing a very selfish game. It's one thing to vote a person at tribal council…it's part of the game and that's fine. But when you actually make an alliance with the person you're going to vote off, well, that's just low and classless._

The blonde looked at the cameras with an unimpressed frown.

_**TK: **When he backstabbed Butch after making that alliance with him, he proved that he was a traitor who only has his best interests in mind. Let this be a lesson for us all: James is a rat and he can't be trusted for his word._

"You're unbelievable, James." JP shook his head as well. He spat on the sand right outside of the shelter. "You're one selfish dude who doesn't care about anybody but yourself!"

"Whatever! I don't have to sit here and take this shit from you two." James rolled his eyes. He got up from the shelter and walked away.

JP leapt up from his seat and shouted.

"Yeah, you just run away from us! But guess what, James? You can't run away from _everything_ in this game! Sooner or later, you're going have to face your consequences like a man!"

- - -

After a delicious dinner tonight, the Gorebyss tribe decided to retreat early in order to preserve energy for the immunity challenge tomorrow. It didn't take long before the observant Mimi realized that there was something very strange about their sleeping arrangement today. Normally, it was very crammed and crowded to have seven people sleeping in the shelter at the same time (Takuya, being a gentleman, always volunteered to sleep on the sand) and Mimi was always being pushed and shoved by some random arm or leg. But tonight, she only counted six people present in the shelter.

"They aren't in the shelter!" Mimi said in a rushed whisper to her tribe members.

"Who's missing?" Cassidy asked, yawning.

"Takuya and Zoe," Mimi replied, instantly detecting who the two absentees were.

"Should we look for them? They might be hurt!" Delia asked in a concerned voice.

"You're so naïve sometimes." Cassidy waved her hand in dismissal. "One good looking boy and one good looking girl disappear on a stranded island in the middle of the night. I don't think those two are having a conversation about world peace, darling."

"I'm guessing that those two are probably making out under the stars," laughed Mimi.

"Noooo…!" Delia gasped, sounding surprised at any chance of romance blossoming on the island. Then she lowered her voice to an uncertain murmur. "Are they really?"

"The pair of lovebirds wouldn't want to be disturbed," giggled Casey.

"If he play his cards right, Takuya might get lucky tonight." Cassidy snickered, nudging a giddy Casey with her leg.

"That's atrocious!" Delia said nervously.

"No, that's what we call _luvvvvv_!" Mimi said in a dreamy voice. "Aww…young love!"

"It sounds more like lust to me," laughed Cassidy cynically.

_**Suzie: **I don't know where they went, but Takuya and Zoe aren't spending their nights in the shelter anymore. I think they might be falling in love with each other! Everybody in the tribe knows about it!_

Suzie giggled girlishly. She raised her tiny hand to cover her enormous mouth.

_**Suzie: **Takuya and Zoe sitting under a tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G!_

Mimi suddenly cleared her throat, demanding absolute silence from her tribe members. Everybody instantly went quiet to hear what Mimi has to say.

"I'd like to dedicate this song to our island couple, Takuya and Zoe." Mimi said in her melodic voice, "Elton John, sing your heart out!"

"What song is it?" Casey called out.

"The song is called "Can You Feel The Love Tonight?" –  
I can see what's happening,  
And they don't have a clue.  
They'll fall in love and here's the bottom line,  
Our trio's down to two.  
The sweet caress of twilight,  
There's magic everywhere,  
And with all this romantic atmosphere,Disaster's in the air."

Mimi paused for a moment to catch her breath. The other women in the shelter were humming and clapping along as she sang. She politely thanked them and continued with her song.

"Can you feel the love tonight?  
The peace the evening brings,  
The world, for once, in perfect harmony,  
With all its living things…"

"Wow Mimi!" Delia said in astonishment. "You've a beautiful voice."

"Thanks Delia." Mimi beamed. Her smile was almost bright enough to illuminate the dark night.

"I don't know though." Casey mumbled, "Do you think Takuya and Zoe would make a good couple?"

"_Please_! Zoe particularly throws herself on top of Takuya like a cheap hooker on the street," said Cassidy.

"They're _perfect_ for each other!" Mimi snapped, her voice growing subtly harsher. "After all, I don't think I've met two people more self-absorbed than Takuya and Zoe!"

"So true, so true!" Cassidy laughed, clapping her hands together.

"I like Takuya and Zoe! They're so nice to me!" Suzie suddenly said out of nowhere.

The women ignored her.

"Takuya walks around here, thinking he's the _man_, the _stud_, the _almighty breadwinner_ of our tribe." Mimi continued, rolling her eyes. "He's so egoistical."

"Zoe isn't any better," added Casey.

"Zoe is a bitch." Cassidy said dramatically as if her statement was an astounding conclusion. "Did you see her trying to one-up me yesterday? About who should go on the reward challenge?"

"Oh I know! She is always trying to outsmart you, Cass! She is probably just mad because the attention isn't on her _again_." Mimi hissed.

"Can we all shut up and just go to sleep now?" Rika asked.

The women ignored her too.

_**Rika: **The women of this tribe are extremely catty. The second you've your back turned, they'll drop their false smiles and instantly talk trash about you behind your back. Of all the offenders, Mimi is probably the worst one. She admits that she is pretty much the queen of all nosy gossip. Mimi likes meddling into other people's personal lives when she should just keep her big blabbering mouth shut._

As always, Rika's expressionless face remained unchanged as she was giving this confessional.

_**Rika: **This is the reason why I'm always alone and off by myself out here. I'd rather hang myself than spend time with these hollow women. They disgust me._

It was a while before the women finally stopped talking, but that was only because Takuya and Zoe were walking back towards the shelter. All of the women were still awake with the exception of a fatigued Delia, who had fallen asleep in the middle of their conversation. Zoe tried to make as little noise as possible when she climbed into the shelter, but Mimi rose up nonetheless.

"Hey Zoe, you're back!" Mimi whispered. "Where did you and Takuya go?"

"We were just gazing at the stars," Zoe replied softly. She was slightly startled to see that Mimi was still awake, since she expected the women to have all fallen asleep by now.

"Gazing at the stars, huh? That sounds _so_ romantic!" Mimi said, with an artificial smile on her face.

"We don't see this type of thing in the city…so Takuya and I thought we should take advantage of it while we can," said Zoe.

"Aww!" Mimi gushed.

"Yeah…I should get some sleep now. We've a big day ahead of us tomorrow!" Zoe said as she lied down beside Suzie. "Well, good night, Mimi."

"Good night, Zoe," said Mimi sweetly.

_**Mimi: **It's suspicious how much time I see Takuya and Zoe hang out together, especially during the night. Everybody can see that there's something going on between the two. Is it a silly crush, or is it an alliance in disguise? In the game of Survivor, intimacy is a very dangerous weapon. I'm all for happy endings in relationships, but Takuya and Zoe need to be separated. Oh, haven't they ever heard of that song by Grassroots?_

Mimi paused and smiled to the cameras. She cleared her throat, indicating that she was ready to sing another song in her soft, melodic voice.

_**Mimi: **Two divided by love can only be one, and one is a lonely number. Two divided by love can only be sad, can only be broken hearted…_

- - -

**DAY 6**

Sometimes, Delia Ketchum felt like this game was stacked up against her just so she would lose.

Coming into this game, she knew she would be at an instant disadvantage because of her age. What she didn't expect was that she would be plagued with an illness on the second day, an illness that she couldn't recover even on the sixth day of the game. And now, Delia was helplessly at the mercy of her seven tribe members. If they win the second immunity challenge today, she would be guaranteed three more days on this island. If they lose however, Delia would probably go home tonight.

She didn't want to go home yet. Her spiritual journey couldn't end now, it hasn't even started yet! How could she truly enjoy the adventure of Survivor if all she had been doing so far was sit inside the shelter and rest? In that sense, Delia was very much like her stubborn son, Ash. Both of them thrived on adventure and neither of them was willing to give up, regardless of the many obstacles ahead. Delia's age and illness might be handicaps, but she wasn't ready to give up this opportunity of a lifetime.

Her perseverance must have come through, because Delia's luck in this game was starting to change. When she went to get treemail this morning with Casey, the baseball lover told her something that made Delia very happy for the rest of the day.

"You aren't going home, Delia!" Casey said with a grin.

"What?" Delia asked, although she heard the words clearly the first time.

"_We_ want to keep you around our tribe, regardless of what happens in the immunity challenge later today." Casey repeated. She smiled genuinely. "Even though you've fallen slightly ill, rest assured that none of us wants to see you leave."

"Oh, that's a relief." Delia mumbled. She looked at Casey with a hint of gratefulness in her hazel brown eyes. "Thank you, Casey."

Casey smiled proudly as she adjusted the Electabuzz baseball cap on her head. Walking beside her, Delia also had a small smile on her face.

_**Delia: **I'll admit, I was pretty depressed in the last couple of days because I'm sick and I thought my elimination was inevitable. But they say don't count your chickens before they hatch, and I'm overjoyed to hear that I'm not on the chopping block tonight! I have been…uh…spared by the queens of Gorebyss, if that's what you'd like to call it._

Instead of looking happy as one would expect, there was a sad smile on her oval face.

_**Delia: **But in the game of Survivor, there is a drawback to everything good that happens…_

"Let's say we lose the immunity challenge today, who is going to get voted off then?" Delia asked, her smile fading slowly away from her face.

"We haven't decided yet, but I'm leaning towards either Rika or Suzie," replied Casey.

"May I ask why?" Delia sounded surprised to hear the two Tamers' names that came up.

"Rika might be a hard worker, but she's also a bit of a loner, you know. She doesn't try her best to socialize with anybody in this tribe, so it'll be easy to vote her off since nobody knows her anyway." Casey said hesitantly. "And Suzie…umm…I like her, but she is a bit of an airhead. I don't get the sense that she is playing the game at all. We can vote her off without causing a huge division in the tribe."

"I see," said Delia quietly, kicking a small rock with her foot. She didn't like the sound of this at all.

"But we're thinking about breaking up Zoe and Takuya too." Casey continued. "Takuya is probably more likely to stay because he is a good provider, but I think we can all agree that the Frontier couple is getting too close for their own good."

"Yeah," muttered Delia.

"Don't worry though, that's only the worst case scenario." Casey said in a cheery voice. "We aren't going to lose the immunity challenge, so we aren't going to tribal council tonight…" She looked up at Delia for her response. "Right, Delia?"

Delia smiled weakly at her and nodded her head.

"You okay with everything, Delia?" Casey asked with a raised eyebrow. "You're going to vote with us, right?"

"Of course! Of course!" Delia said quickly, waving her hand in dismissal. She looked at Casey with an earnest gaze. "You have my word on this, I promise."

_**Cassidy: **Survivor is a numbers game. I'm not going to vote Delia off because it will put me at a five-against-two disadvantage with the children from the Digimon series. And even though I'd like to break apart Takuya and Zoe, voting one of them lovebirds means that I'll have to deal with whoever remains here the next day. It's not a good time to do that just yet. If we've to go to tribal council tonight, I think I'll play it safe and vote out a scapegoat…somebody who the tribe can unanimously agree to vote off._

Delia and Casey returned to the tribe with their treemail, but the campsite was surprisingly idle. Only Mimi and Cassidy sat by the fire, cooking breakfast together. Rika and Takuya have gone on one of their hunting trips, while Zoe and Suzie were still sleeping inside the shelter.

"You're back with treemail. Let's see what it says," said Cassidy, slowly rising up from her seat on the sand.

Delia walked towards Cassidy, with Casey following behind. But instead of presenting the treemail, Delia embraced the Team Rocket member in a friendly hug.

"Thanks for keeping me around, Cassidy." Delia whispered in her ear.

"Oh that," said Cassidy, glancing over at a smiling Casey. Although she was a little startled at first, a thin smirk appeared on her face. "No problem, people like us need to stick together."

"It means a lot to me, what you did." Delia smiled as she pulled herself away from the Team Rocket woman. "I'll remember your kindness."

"Yeah, yeah." Cassidy said dismissively. She had never been comfortable with signs of affection. "Anyway, you aren't going to participate in the immunity challenge today, so I thought you needed to know that you're safe – no matter win or lose in the challenge." She paused and then added, "People like Zoe and Takuya wanted to vote you off because you were ill, but I thought that was too shallow of a reason to vote out somebody. Don't worry though, you're safe with me."

That was a manufactured lie by Cassidy, who thought of it right on the spot. No, Takuya and Zoe haven't once mentioned about voting Delia off, but Cassidy thought that her little speech needed some oomph. If Delia wasn't convinced about Cassidy's loyalty before, she should have no question about it now. This little white lie worked; the single mother from Pallet Town was beaming with the utmost joy, thinking of Cassidy as if she was her saviour in this game.

There had been an ulterior motive for keeping Delia around of course, as expected from a shrewd character like Cassidy. Not only did the Team Rocket mastermind want to keep her numeric advantage in this game, but Cassidy also knew that out of everybody in this tribe, there were a few people who she didn't have any control over. Some of them were just too free-willed and too rebellious to follow Cassidy's lead. As long as these rebels stay in the game, Cassidy would never have total control, total dominance, and total power over the Gorebyss tribe.

Cassidy has determined that there could only be one fate for those who defied her commands.

They were simply walking into their demise.

- - -

Professor Birch gestured the two tribes to come forward to their mats for the second immunity challenge. Cassidy led the way for the Gorebyss tribe, waving their crimson red flag proudly in the air. Following behind her were her seven courageous warriors, all with red buffs wrapped around their heads. Suzie was the last in line, happily holding the golden Pokemon in her tiny hands.

"Welcome to your second immunity challenge," announced Professor Birch. "Gorebyss, take a new look at the Huntail tribe, without Butch."

Cassidy suddenly glared at the opposing tribe, clutching her fist angrily as she noticed the absence of a certain tall and lanky man. For the first time ever, she realized that Huntail had voted off Butch. _Her_ Butch.

"First things first, Gorebyss, I need that immunity idol back," said Professor Birch.

Suzie skipped merrily over to the professor and handed him the golden Pokeball. He placed it on the wooden pedestal next to him.

"Immunity…back up for grabs!" Professor Birch said. "For your challenge today, it's a simple matter of catch and toss. One member from each tribe will be the designated thrower. This person's job is to throw the opposing tribe's pokeball into the ocean as far as possible." He held up a red pokeball and a blue pokeball. "The other participants will be waiting at the starting line," A shot of the forest could be shown, "And then at my signal, they'll sprint to the sea and try to retrieve their tribe's pokeball. The first tribe to grab it will win one point for their tribe."

Casey smiled confidently, delighted that her baseball pitching skills will be of great assistance in this challenge.

"Once a tribe member catches a pokeball, they can no longer participate any further in the challenge," continued Professor Birch. "The first tribe to earn four points will win immunity…guarantee three more days in this game."

TK nodded his head, grinning. If his morning jogs were any indication, running was definitely one of his fortes.

"Delia, since you've participated in the reward challenge, you'll have to sit this one out." Professor Birch said, and the obedient mother shifted away from the red mat. "Everybody else, select a thrower from each tribe and then get into positions."

Casey, the baseball fanatic, was the natural pick for Gorebyss, while the chunky JP was chosen to be the thrower for Huntail. The two throwers stood by the shoreline, each holding a pokeball in their hands. Delia sat on a bench nearby, watching the challenge as a spectator. Everybody else was at the mouth of the forest, perched right in front of a white line painted of the sand. Some of the men were doing stretches as warm-up, while Cassidy was lecturing her tribe members on a challenge strategy.

"As soon as JP and Casey launch their pokeballs into the ocean, you can start running to retrieve the pokeball," yelled Professor Birch. "Survivors ready?" Casey and JP both nodded their heads. "Throw!"

True to baseball fashion, Casey pitched the blue pokeball as if it was a baseball, straight and speedy, but lacking the power for it to travel a far distance. Her petite size was an inconvenience in the challenge, especially in comparison to the strong and largely built JP. The chunky man swung his powerful right arm, hurling the red pokeball high in the sky. It traveled in a long arc in the air before dipping somewhere into the sea, a good distance farther than where Casey's Pokeball had landed.

As soon as the pokeballs were thrown, the twelve runners dashed off from the start line immediately. A few seconds later, it was obvious that TK and Takuya were the front runners of the race. The two athletic men were neck to neck with each other, both running at around the same speed. The other tribe members trailed behind them, none of them fast enough to catch up to the two men. Poor Suzie fell down at the start and was trampled by several foots, but Zoe helped her get up and the little girl continued the challenge with a huge smile on her face.

TK and Takuya were the first to arrive at the ocean. They jumped into the sea without hesitation and they began swimming their way towards their tribe's pokeball. It was here when Takuya was forced to slow down. He had immense difficulty locating where the Gorebyss pokeball was in the water, partly because of his poor eyesight, but mostly because JP threw the pokeball to a _very_ far distance. On the other hand, TK immediately spotted the Huntail pokeball nearby. The blonde swam towards it and snagged it in his hands before Takuya even knew where his tribe's pokeball was.

"Huntail wins one point!" Professor Birch announced. "TK, you're now out of the challenge. Everybody else, go back to the starting line!"

Without TK's presence, Takuya effortlessly dominated the next round as he snatched the red pokeball in the sea before anybody else. Nobody from either tribe even came close.

"Huntail and Gorebyss, both with one point! Takuya, come join TK and Delia by the bench!"

It became a closer race now that the two fastest runners have been removed from the challenge. Casey finally changed her technique when she realized that a farther distance was more important than speed. Instead of pitching the pokeball like a baseball, she decided to _throw_ it as if the pokeball was a slightly heavier tennis ball. The technique was more effective, and she closed the gap between the two pokeballs, although JP's throw was still a little stronger than hers. It came down to a close race between James and Cassidy, but Cassidy managed to snatch the red pokeball before the other Team Rocket member.

"Cassidy is out. Gorebyss leading by one!"

In the fourth round, Zoe surprised everybody by making a quick dash into the ocean. She has been conserving her energy for the past few rounds, knowing very well that she couldn't beat the fast runners until they've been removed. Despite her early lead, she lost it when she was in the ocean and couldn't locate where the blue pokeball was. Just like the problem that Takuya experienced before, JP threw their tribe's pokeball way out of eyesight. By the time Zoe finally spotted where it was, Brock and James have caught up to her. And although the tanned Pokemon Breeder wasn't too agile in water, he grabbed the blue Pokeball before Zoe did, thus scoring a second point for Huntail.

"Gorebyss and Huntail now tied at two!" Professor Birch announced, "Brock is out and there are now eight runners left in the race! Drew, James, May and Takato for Huntail; Rika, Suzie, Zoe and Mimi for Gorebyss."

JP made a flimsy throw in the fifth round, so the Gorebyss pokeball came a lot nearer than the last few times. But although the red pokeball was closer in distance, the lack of decent from the Gorebyss tribe was evidently a problem. By the time Zoe and Rika made their way into the water, James had already searched and located his tribe's pokeball. Huntail scores another point.

"Huntail now has three points! One more point and they will win immunity!"

The seven remaining runners jogged back to the starting line. After running down the same path five times, some of them were growing increasingly tired, not to mention increasingly discouraged. Some, like Takato, could barely lift their feet from the sand anymore. But this round, the pressure was on the four Gorebyss ladies. They knew that if the opposing tribe scores one more point, the challenge would be over for them.

JP and Casey launched their pokeballs into the ocean, roughly about the same distance. Immediately afterwards, the runners took off from the starting line. Zoe and Drew were the fastest, although May and Rika were right on their tails. Bringing up the rear were the usual: Takato, Mimi and Suzie. It wasn't surprising because these three have been the last in every race so far.

"Zoe is making some good progress!" Professor Birch announced. "She is the first one in the water!"

As Zoe swam further into the sea, she frantically turned her everywhere to search for the red pokeball. But she looked high and low, up and down, left and right, and she _still_ couldn't find it. _Where is it?_ The frustrated blonde asked herself. It didn't help that her opponents Drew and May were catching up. Both of them were in the water now, and both of them knew exactly where their tribe's pokeball was.

"Yes!" Somebody exclaimed joyfully.

Zoe immediately turned around when she heard the voice – it was a voice that belonged to a _female_. But it wasn't Rika or Mimi or Suzie. None of her tribe members were even in the water yet, they were still desperately running on the beach. It was then when Zoe dropped her head disappointedly. She finally realized that this was May's cry of joy. It was May who had found the last pokeball for her tribe, who had found the pokeball before Zoe did, who had won the immunity for her tribe.

"May has the pokeball! Huntail wins immunity!" Professor Birch announced.

On land, TK, Brock and James cheered loudly. Brock raised his fist triumphantly in the air as he received the golden Pokeball from Professor Birch. The three men put their hands together and then shouted, "Go Huntail!" in one unified voice.

"I'm sorry, Gorebyss, but this means that you're coming to tribal council with me." Professor Birch said sadly as he sees the dejection on Delia's face, "One of you will be going home tonight"

- - -

Amongst all spicy food and people with bad breath, Zoe Orimoto also hated to lose. It wasn't just because she lost to a tribe dominated by men, but Zoe didn't like losing to _anybody_ at all. When she lost, it almost felt like somebody stripped her of her triumph, her glory, her victory. She felt so bare and naked, so sick and disgusted at the same time. It was an ugly feeling. No matter how hard Zoe tried, she could never wash this feeling away. It remained on her mind like a food stain on a shirt.

After the immunity challenge loss today, the competitive blonde returned to the Gorebyss camp slightly disappointed. She didn't sulk in the shelter to cry over spilt milk, that just wasn't her style. She believed that the best way to recover from a loss was to simply move on. But today, her face was lacking that energetic smile, that feisty flicker in her eyes, and that magical warmth on her face.

_**Takuya: **You might not know this about Zoe by a first glance, but she is a girl who wears her heart on her sleeves. She is very emotional and very sensitive about some things, especially losing. Zoe is a tough chick and all, but nobody likes to lose. I can't stand not seeing that bright smile on her face. I need to cheer her up._

"Oh my fair Zoe…" Takuya said in a jovial voice as he ran up to Zoe, who was standing alone under a tree. "It's your knight in shining armour!"

"Ha, it's only Takuya…" Zoe smiled the instant she saw the goggle-head. "You pack your bags yet?"

"Yeah, a t-shirt and two pairs of underwear," Takuya grinned dumbly. He shoved his hands into his pockets and pulled out an apple core. "What does this look like?"

"An apple core…" said Zoe slowly, with a raised eyebrow.

"No, look closely! Use your imagination!" Takuya said, waving his arm wildly in the air. "Come on, you can do better than that!"

"Well, I think I see a witch." Zoe's emerald green eyes squinted closely together. "The stem looks like her hat and that small bite in the apple resembles a crooked nose."

"You're close! It's actually supposed to be Cassidy." Takuya said, grinning.

"The apple is Cassidy?" Zoe said in surprise.

"Yeah, see these seeds here? They resemble her black heart – although I'm not sure she has a heart in the first place. May be she got a heart implant, since she has plastic surgery on every part of her body anyway. Anyway, _this_ section of the apple is her big mouth because she never stops yapping," explained Takuya, pointing his finger to the apple core he is holding.

Zoe paused for a moment and stared at Takuya blankly. Then she burst out in laughter, which made Takuya's grin even wider.

"I'm sorry, Takuya…but that's just so…_stupid_!" Zoe laughed, putting her hand over her chest. "I love it. I really do."

Takuya grinned foolishly and scratched his head.

"Anything that draws a smile on your face is a good thing," said Takuya. "You look really pretty when you laugh…you should do that more often."

Zoe blushed, flipping her beautiful blonde hair over her shoulder.

_**Zoe: **Takuya is a fun guy with a great sense of humour. My days in Survivor wouldn't be half as exciting without him around, always trying to entertain or cheer me up. Not a lot of people actually get Takuya, but I do. And I love him to death as a friend._

Zoe grinned mischievously.

_**Zoe: **Yes, friend…what were you expecting me to say? He isn't my boyfriend or anything…I mean, no…not really. He is cute and he is totally my type, but it'll feel so weird if we hook up, you know? Yeah…you know. But then again, Takuya and I are a little weird…oh, I don't know._

"You're so sweet sometimes, Takuya." She giggled. She then casually put her arm on Takuya's shoulder. "But oh Takuya, I hate _her_ sooooo much…"

"I know, I know. I hate that bitch Cassidy too." Takuya sighed, tossing the apple core aside.

"Cassidy is practically telling us who to vote for tonight in tribal council. We have no choice but to follow her freaky dictatorship!" Zoe said angrily.

"It sucks. If anybody deserves to go tonight, it's _Cassidy_." Takuya made a face.

"But that's not going to happen, Takuya. You and I both know that," sighed Zoe.

"Not unless we team up with Rika and Suzie. Zoe, we can force a tie at tribal council against her." Takuya said encouragingly. "If we're lucky, we could even get Mimi on our side too."

Zoe shook her head slowly. She took her arm off his shoulder and looked at her friend very seriously.

"Takuya, we can't do that. Right now, we're safe, we're in a good position and I don't want you to do anything to ruin this. If we defy Cassidy, she'll chop our heads off. We will become the next targets on her list." She shook her head again. "I don't want this to happen. I don't want her to break us apart."

"This really sucks," said Takuya. He snarled angrily at a random tree. "We need to stand up for ourselves!"

"But I thought you would understand, Takuya." Zoe sighed sadly. "_Now_ is not the time to do it."

_**Zoe: **Takuya is sometimes a bit impulsive and he doesn't really make the right decisions when he is caught in the moment. I think I help keep him in check. I am no more of a Cassidy fan than he is, but this is not the right time to take her down, not just yet. She has the power right now and she is calling all of the shots. But sooner or later, somebody is going to take Cassidy down. Her reign as the Gorebyss queen will be a lot shorter than she anticipated._

Zoe smiled confidently at the cameras. There was a defiant flicker in her emerald green eyes.

_**Zoe: **If anybody is going to dethrone Cassidy, I will make sure that it's going to be me._

- - -

The tribe members of Gorebyss arrived to tribal council at various states of distress. Some marched with a confident stride, certain that they would not receive a single vote by their name. Others were less secure with their chances, mumbling a quick prayer when they took a seat on the stone bleachers. Professor Birch watched over them cautiously. He was standing beside the majestic Dewgong glass sculpture. It looked so mighty and magnificent, yet so cold and so stoic at the same time.

As usual, he repeated his standard tribal council speech to the tribe. There was no interruption. Some kept their heads down as the professor spoke, while others turned their heads around to examine the tribal council set. But when Professor Birch was finally ready to move on to the questions, everybody paid attention to him.

"Delia, you have been sick for the past couple of days." Professor Birch began.

"Nobody is going to let me forget this!" Delia chuckled softly, throwing her arms up in the air in playful desperation. Several others laughed.

"Do you think you will receive a few votes because of your illness?" He asked.

"Of course! My age and my health condition are not the best combination for a game like Survivor." Delia smiled weakly. "I know my head is on the chopping my block. I just hope I survive it."

Casey glanced over at Delia nervously. Was the single mother just being modest, or did she not trust her when Casey told Delia that she was going to be safe tonight?

A worse thought suddenly struck Casey's head. What if there has been a change in plans tonight and she didn't know about it?

"Takuya, how are you adapting in Gorebyss, being the only man amongst seven women?" Professor Birch asked.

"Professor, I feel really lucky and blessed to be stuck on a tribe with seven gorgeous and wonderful women." Takuya grinned. "I know Brock must be regretting that he didn't pick to be the leader on the first day!"

"So I take it that you're getting along with everyone?"

"Yeah, most of us are great people." Takuya said with a small smile. He put his hands on Suzie's shoulders. "I mean, Suzie here is just adorable. She is everybody's cheerleader." He then pointed at Mimi. "And Mimi keeps us all entertained at night with her beautiful voice and songs."

"Ah! Mimi, I'm hearing some good things about your singing!" Professor Birch turned to the tall brunette. "Care to sing a song?"

Mimi quickly shook her head. Several others could be heard nudging her encouragingly to do so.

"I'm afraid it would be a sad song, so I don't want to sing it." Mimi smiled sheepishly.

"Why is it a sad song?" Professor Birch elaborated. "Is the person you're voting out tonight somebody you don't want to vote out?"

"Everybody in this tribe is wonderful, but we have to vote out someone tonight and that really sucks." Mimi said sadly.

Professor Birch looked up at Cassidy, sitting with her long legs crossed and a thin smirk spread across her face.

"What will you base your vote on tonight, Cassidy?" He asked curiously.

"Professor Birch, I'm going to vote out the person who I think contributes the least to the tribe. This is the _least_ important member in our tribe, if you may." She replied diplomatically. "If this person goes, our house of cards wouldn't crumble without her presence."

"_Her _presence? Is it going to be a female who's leaving tonight?"

"Yes." She shot Takuya a quick glance. "All the guys will be safe."

"Oh lucky me." Takuya said sarcastically.

"Okay, it's time to vote." Professor Birch pointed his thumb at Cassidy. "Cassidy, you're up first."

Cassidy got up and walked to the voting booth, wrote down a name and showed it to the cameras.

"You and I just didn't click," she said with an indifferent shrug. "And frankly, you bore me."

She shoved the parchment into the voting urn and returned to her seat.

Casey, Delia, Mimi, Takuya, and Zoe followed. All five of them had been apologetic when casting their vote, mumbling the word "Sorry" at least once during their farewell speech. Zoe returned from the voting booth with misty eyes, while Takuya put a comforting hand on her shoulder. It had not been an easy decision for her tonight.

The seventh person to vote was Suzie Wong. The cheerful child skipped her way to the voting booth, with a huge smile on her round face as usual. She cast a vote, although she was barely tall enough to reach the table. On her parchment was the name Cassidy written in big bubbly letters, except that it was spelt wrong – it was missing one 's'.

Nobody had informed Suzie about the voting plan tonight. It was hard to trust Suzie with a secret without constantly worrying if she will accidentally open her big mouth and tell everybody. They all liked the little purple-hair child, they really did. But nobody was willing to risk their necks to include Suzie in their plans, no matter how much they liked her as a person. To the members of Gorebyss, Suzie was just a non-entity who smiled a lot. She was too unpredictable and too disobedient to follow through with any strategic plan.

So they had decided it was best if Suzie was kept in the dark in this tribal council.

"Cassidy, you're a big meanie and you're getting my vote!" Suzie said. She waved to the cameras. "Bye bye!"

Rika walked up to the voting booth last. She picked up the parchment and wrote down five letters on the piece of parchment. She then held it up to the cameras, revealing Delia's name on it.

"Too weak and too ill, you're only hindering us in challenges," said Rika. With hesitation, she added, "You should be in the losers' lodge getting some proper rest."

Rika returned to her seat with an emotionless expression on her face. She glanced over at Delia, who was blinking vacantly into the fire.

"I'll go tally the votes," said Professor Birch.

All eight votes have been cast.

And the Gorebyss tribe was about to find out who the second person voted off will be.

- - -

"Once the votes have been read, the person voted off will be asked to leave tribal council immediately," said Professor Birch. "I'll now read the votes."

He pulled out the first parchment from the voting urn, sighed softly and turned it over.

"Delia."

Delia nodded her head, smiling weakly at the professor. She had expected to receive votes at tribal council.

"Second vote," said the professor as he pulled out another parchment from the urn. He turned it over.

"Cassidy."

A thin smile spread across Cassidy's face when she saw her misspelled name on the parchment. Although her name was written on the parchment, she didn't look worried at all. She knew she wasn't going home tonight.

Professor Birch pulled out the third vote from the urn. He took a long pause before turning it over.

"Suzie."

Then the fourth vote.

"Suzie."

And then the fifth vote. This one had a sad smiley face drawn beside the name.

"Suzie."

Lastly, Professor Birch drew out the sixth and fatal vote.

"And the second person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…"

He turned the parchment over.

"Suzie."

Suzie smiled lightly, wearing a slightly puzzled expression on her face. Some of her tribe members turned their heads away, trying to evade from Suzie's gaze. They didn't have the heart to face her after what they've done tonight. Suzie hopped up from her seat and smiled genuinely at the rest of her tribe. That bright and energetic smile never left her face once even as the barrage of votes appeared out of nowhere. She might not have expected the results, she might not have liked to exit the game like this, but she didn't hold a grudge against any of them. Suzie grabbed her torch and walked over to Professor Birch.

"Suzie, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch declared, distinguishing the flame from Suzie's torch.

"Have fun, everyone!" Suzie said, blowing an air kiss to her tribe members. "Bye bye!"

Cassidy quietly watched the petite girl walk into the forest, her short and stubby body soon disappearing from sight. Some of her tribe members might have felt sad to see the energetic Tamer leave the game, but Cassidy had a different feeling about tonight's results. After all, it was her who had manufactured Suzie's departure at this tribal council. She had suggested the Tamer's name and everybody instantly jumped on the bandwagon – everybody was too afraid to take a stand and defy her.

It wasn't uneasiness that she felt tonight. It was _power_. Absolute power was what Cassidy had over the Gorebyss tribe.

Suzie was one of the few people who dared to defy Cassidy and her totalitarianism, and now she paid the price. She was merely a worthless cheerleader, an airheaded mascot, an uncontrollable wildcard – Suzie didn't have a defined role in this tribe. Had she not been so defiant and rebellious, she probably wouldn't have been on Cassidy's black list. But Cassidy had no use for anybody who didn't follow her commands. Suzie was strategically useless to her, so Suzie had to go.

"Gorebyss, your time is done here." Professor Birch said. "Have a safe trip back to your camp."

Rika was the first to get up from her seat and she quickly walked away from the rest of her tribe. Cassidy had informed her that the perky Tamer would be voted off tonight, but Rika defied her wishes to make this a unanimous vote against Suzie. Her vote against Delia was just a vote cast out of spite. And Rika could tell that Cassidy wasn't happy that she didn't get her way. And Rika knew that Cassidy would lecture her about this vote the first thing tomorrow morning. And Rika guessed correctly that her head was now on the chopping block because of this.

But Rika didn't care, she was proud to be a rebel.

As Cassidy would soon learn about the game of Survivor, there will _always_ be rebels.

- - -

_**Suzie's Final Words**_

I really had fun on the island, but six days is too, too, too short! I wanted to stay longer and I don't understand why they voted me out. Nobody told me anything about the vote, so I just voted for the person who has been the least nice to me. But it's alright, I'm very happy to be sitting in the lodge right now with my strawberry milkshake! Hee hee! I guess it's bye-bye for me then, Survivor. But it's been fun!

- - - 

_**Next Time on Survivor –**_

**JP and TK campaign to save themselves from elimination…**   
_JP: _We don't need him on our tribe.  
(TK snaps his fingers in front of somebody's face.)  
_TK: _We can dispose him just like that.

**Cassidy goes sunbathing in the nude…**  
(Cassidy's hands are unhooking her black bikini top.)   
_Cassidy: _You need to showcase them…  
(She tosses it aside.)  
_Cassidy: _…or they won't be at their money's worth.

**And a disagreement amongst the women turns ugly…**  
(Cassidy is sitting in front of the fire, smirking smugly.)  
_Mimi: _Get over yourself!  
_Casey_: Exactly.  
(Takuya is giving a confessional. He laughs nervously.)  
_Takuya:_ These ladies could either be the best of friends or they could be the worst of enemies.

**_All of this and more on – Episode 3: Mean Girls_**

  
**Author's Notes:** Thanks to everyone who reviewed the first episode and I hope you enjoyed the second episode as well! Please take some time to go visit my website and fill out the Episode 2 Poll. It will only take a few minutes, but provide me with a lot of input from you as the reader. Thanks you so much, and don't forget to review! 


	3. Episode 3: Mean Girls

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**  
**By: Gomamon**

_**Last Time on Survivor: **_

_After Butch was voted off, Brock became the new leader of the Huntail tribe. He motivated his tribe's work ethics and inspired them to build a shelter in their lacklustre campsite. Their success continued when Drew won a motorboat in the reward challenge with ease. However, his cocky attitude upset his competitor Delia and the rest of her tribe._

_A romance was speculated between Takuya and Zoe, which gave several people the desire to break up the pair of Frontiers. Rika was also a popular target, mostly because she had isolated herself from her tribe. But in the end, Cassidy decided that the disobedient Suzie was too difficult to control in her tyranny. And thus, Suzie was voted off in a nearly unanimous vote at tribal council. Fourteen remain, who will be voted off next?_

**Episode Three: Mean Girls**

**Gorebyss: **_CASEY - CASSIDY – DELIA – MIMI – RIKA – TAKUYA – ZOE_

**Huntail: **_BROCK – DREW – JAMES – JP – MAY – TAKATO – TK_

- - -

**DAY 7**

Being the only man surrounded by beautiful women definitely had its quirks, as Takuya would kindly tell the cameras. But after spending an entire week with the ladies of Gorebyss, he learned that this was far from the paradise that he and many other men fantasized about. While Takuya loved the ladies and they tolerated his whacky antics for the most part, it was a completely different reality to actually _live_ with six women. Suddenly, things that were considered as socially acceptable with a bunch of men were frowned upon by the women. If Takuya wanted to get along with Gorebyss, he will have to adapt and change his usual habits.

Takuya made sure he kept his hands to himself, so he wouldn't be mistaken as a pervert. He made sure he watched the words coming out of his mouth, so that he wouldn't accidentally say something offensive about women. He made sure that he gave the women their privacy and personal space, so he opted to sleep outside of the shelter while the women slept like queens. Even if this meant there were many sacrifices and compromises for Takuya, he made sure that the women felt totally comfortable with his presence in the tribe.

Fortunately enough, the ladies did notice his chivalrous gestures in the tribe, however subtle and minor they might be. While the alpha males found Takuya obnoxious because of his loud and dominant personality, the women were able to see him in a different light. Once they truly got to know Takuya, they thought of him as a charming and witty guy. Not only did his outgoing personality help him blend in with the women, but Takuya was also a hard worker in camp and a strong athlete in challenges. Although the goggle-head could get a bit brash and impulsive at times, his overall intentions obviously meant well. Despite his flaws, most of the women did genuinely like Takuya.

But as Takuya became more and more of a popular figure in his tribe, the goggle-head realized that he liked some of the women less and less. Because after living with just women for an entire week, Takuya had made an astounding observation about the ladies in his tribe: Women are catty.

And when a group of catty women are put together in a condensed environment, they could get very, _very_ vicious.

_**Takuya: **I'm not declaring myself as an expert on women, but these ladies could either be the best of friends or they could be the worst of enemies. There are some really mean girls on our tribe! They could get extremely catty, extremely conniving, and extremely jealous of each other. I mean, I thought guys were awful at getting along, but these women are almost like vultures. They gang up together and attack on the outcasts._

Takuya laughed nervously. He put a hand on his forehead.

_**Takuya: **And the worst part is, they don't even confront each other about their issues. They've to do all of this bitching and fighting behind each other's backs. It's totally ridiculous. They could probably solve everything if they lay it out in the open, but these women are way too catty to do that. _

The seventh morning in Gorebyss started out as dreary and slow. Rika was the only tribe member still sleeping in the shelter, although there wasn't much activeness elsewhere in the tribe today. Takuya had just woken up minutes earlier and he sat in front of the camp fire with a drowsy expression on his face. Zoe sat beside him on the sand, quietly staring at the pot of water that she was boiling. Other than the weak camp fire trickling, the only other noise was the soft humming from Mimi, who was preparing breakfast with Cassidy nearby. And after a while, Casey and Delia returned to camp with a piece of treemail for their reward challenge.

"We've got treemail!" Casey said cheerfully as she waved a scroll of paper around. She seemed unaffected by the gloomy atmosphere in the camp.

"It's the same as last time, we've to select one person to go to the reward challenge," said Delia.

"The good news is that since we no longer have a numerous advantage, the person who participates in the reward challenge will not sit out for the immunity challenge," added Casey.

"Just don't send me to compete again, because I don't want to lose another reward challenge for you girls." Delia smiled weakly.

"So…" Casey turned to look at everybody's faces. "Who's going to participate in this challenge?"

"I could go!" Zoe smiled confidently, getting up from her seat. "Whatever the reward is, I want to win it."

Cassidy's head suddenly perked up. She raised her hand as well.

"I'm going to participate in the reward challenge," said Cassidy.

"I haven't participated in a reward challenge yet," said Zoe, a little more forcefully.

"Neither have I."

"If you don't mind, I'd _really_ like to compete in this reward challenge, Cassidy." Zoe flashed the Team Rocket member a stern glare.

"Like I said, I'm going." Cassidy smirked. "Just because you volunteered first, it doesn't mean you automatically get the job."

"You only volunteered when you saw that I wanted to go to the challenge!" Zoe shouted angrily.

"Get over yourself, Zoe! The whole world doesn't revolve around you!" Mimi rolled her eyes. "We don't make our decisions base on what you think. Stop being such a self-centered snob all the time!"

"Exactly," said Casey, nodding her head.

"Hey now, back off. There's no need to get personal!" Takuya suddenly interrupted, stepping in to defend his friend Zoe in the argument.

"Okay, let's take a vote." Cassidy turned to the rest of her tribe members. "Those in favour of Zoe going to the reward challenge?"

Takuya immediately shot his arm in the air and Zoe smiled gratefully at him. No matter how bad the women are on this tribe, there was always Takuya by her side. Even in the worst scenario, she could always count on Takuya to be supporting her.

"One vote…" Cassidy had a smug expression on her pointed face. "Those in favour of me going to the reward challenge?"

Mimi and Casey raised their hands as if there had never been any doubt in their minds.

"How about you, Delia?" Cassidy asked, turning towards the single mother from Pallet Town. "You've been awfully quiet."

Delia tried to look away, but she could feel Cassidy's intense stare scorching her skin. She felt uncomfortable standing in the middle of the confrontation, awkward to be put into a position like this one. Unlike the rest of the women, Delia actually liked Zoe. She didn't think the blonde was fake or argumentative. If any of them found out about this though, Delia's popularity would decline even quicker than her failing health. To go against Zoe's opinion would be what the majority of the women wanted. Had Delia been a stronger person mentally, she would have taken a stance against the peer pressure. She would have voted for what she believed for.

But she was weak.

And so, with no choice, Delia reluctantly raised her hand in the air.

"Good." Cassidy said smugly. Although Delia's third vote meant nothing, it always felt good to have an extra hand of support for her side. She had no difficulty flaunting her newfound power, especially in front of Zoe. "I guess that confirms what I've said earlier. I'm going to the reward challenge."

Closing her eyes in defeat, Zoe turned around and silently walked into the forest, without taking a glance at her tribe members. Takuya immediately chased after her. Soon, the Frontier couple disappeared behind the sea of trees. The remaining women all looked at each other, smirking confidently.

"What a sore loser…" Casey mumbled.

"She's used to getting everything go her way," added Mimi.

"In that case, I'm glad that we brought the prissy little tramp back into the real world." Cassidy laughed.

_**Takuya: **I hate the way they're picking on Zoe. I hate it. I hate it. Cassidy is the ringleader behind this and all the women just follow her like blind sheep. Zoe had done nothing to upset them, but they all have a thing against her for some reason. Is it because she is too nice? Is it because she is blonde? Is it because she is a hottie? I wished I knew, but I'm just a guy…_

Takuya sighed deeply.

_**Takuya: **They don't see what I see. They don't see that although Zoe tries her best to be a tough chick, she is only human. She can only handle so many verbal attacks before breaking down. I hate seeing Zoe like this. _

Suddenly, Takuya shot a fierce look at the cameras. Sheer determination could be seen in his hazel brown eyes.

_**Takuya: **I'll never let anybody hurt Zoe like this ever again._

- - -

Of all the meals, JP Shibayama always preferred lunch; it was a mealtime that he always looked forward to. His tribe members often teased him because he was hungry all the time, but JP never minded their trivial and sometimes hurtful comments. It was true what they say about him anyway, JP loved to eat and he was proud of it. Food is one of the key elements to surviving on an island. Food gives them strength to win challenges. Food gives them the energy to conduct the rest of the day with energy and vigour. Food is marvellous and JP didn't have any problems consuming a lot of it.

_**JP: **Brock is our resident chef on our tribe, and let me tell you, that dude can cook some delicious food! He can make that mushy, nasty corn goo taste like something from a five-star restaurant. Okay, heh heh…I'm exaggerating. But dude, he's an awesome chef. Anybody who can satisfy my stomach is a cool guy._

But today, JP was disappointed with what Brock has cooked for lunch. Around noon time, he and the rest of the tribe gathered around the fire for their meal. JP made a face when he saw what was inside his wooden bowl. The so-called food in his bowl looked pasty, watery, and it had a yellowish green colour – like fungi. If JP didn't know any better, he would've thought he was eating vomit.

"Yuck." JP muttered, just loud enough so that TK, who sat beside him, could hear.

"It doesn't smell good either," TK whispered back.

"Dude, what is it supposed to be anyway?" JP asked.

"Uh…my guess would be nasty, mashed corn goo…" TK smiled softly.

"Did you cook the corn properly, Brock?" James asked, being more direct with his opinion than TK and JP. "Umm…I only ask that because the food kind of looks pasty today."

Brock chuckled, waving his hand dismissively.

"No worries, guys! I didn't overcook or undercook the corn." He explained in a jovial manner. "It's just that May has a bit of a toothache and she couldn't eat the hard corn, so I decided to make it into mush."

"How considerate of you," said Drew in a tone that oozes with sarcasm. His bowl of food was on the ground, barely touched.

"Aww Brock, thanks!" May smiled sweetly, patting Brock on the shoulder. "I don't know why, but my tooth hurts all of a sudden. It's like…it's almost like I bit into a rock!"

"Ah, it happens." TK said, nodding his head. "We don't have toothbrushes or toothpaste to keep our teeth clean."

"How bad will our teeth be after leaving this island? Wouldn't it be funny if we've to spend all our winnings on dental treatment?" JP laughed.

"Or after winning the million dollars and we smile at the cameras, our teeth are all yellow." TK added with a mischievous grin.

"Oh my god! Don't scare me like that, you guys!" May gasped and then collapsed into fits of girlish giggles.

She took a spoonful of the tasteless mush corn and put it into her mouth. She made a face and quickly gulped the pasty substance down.

"I feel so bad that you all have to eat this," May sighed. She looked at her tribe members sincerely. "Please don't hate me! I didn't ask Brock to do this for me."

"I thought the men wouldn't mind eating one bad meal," said Brock, shrugging.

"Don't worry about it, May." Takato said, who was using a wooden spoon to play with his food. "It tastes like marshmallows if you close your eyes and imagine really hard."

"Wow, I wished I had your imagination, Takato." James chuckled softly.

The rest of the tribe laughed.

_**May: **When I woke up this morning, a tooth at the back of my mouth suddenly hurts so much! At first, I thought I chipped it or something serious like that. May be I'm a worrier, but I actually thought it was going to literally fall out of my mouth. I was that scared!_

May giggled. It was a girlish laugh, with just the right amount of femininity, playfulness and optimism.

_**May: **I'm so thankful that all the guys on this tribe are such gentlemen. They're so nice and so understanding! When I first came here, I thought I wasn't going to fit in and it was totally going to be uncomfortable living with men. But after a week on Huntail, I actually learned a lot about men. They aren't pigs…well at least, most of them aren't!_

Huntail continued the rest of their lunch through a light conversation. Slowly and surely, the tribe was bonding together like a family. On the surface, it looked as if everybody got along pleasantly. There weren't many conflicts, there weren't many disagreements, and there weren't many personality clashes. And while most of the tribe members enjoyed living in this harmony, one person was obviously upset about this type of blissful atmosphere.

Drew.

He quietly observed the Huntail tribe as they conversed, rarely adding his two cents here and there. They were laughing gleefully, almost like they weren't playing a game, almost like they didn't a single care in their world. Even with a million dollars on the line, they all looked so relaxed and friendly with each other. And that…that was what Drew didn't understand. In fact, this type of behaviour made him sick.

Even so, this type of non-committed attitude to playing the game didn't bother Drew the most. Only as he watched the tribe dynamics unfold, only as he watched how in every conversation, in every joke, in every gesture of kindness, one person was always in the center of attention. It was only then when Drew realized the problem that was bothering him the most.

May has unconsciously become the most popular member in this tribe.

For Drew, May had always been like a thorn by his side, even when outside of this game. They were both Pokemon Coordinators and they battled one another in Pokemon Contests before coming into this game. From Drew's perspective, May was always this incompetent and ditzy trainer who was way in over her head. If it wasn't for her famous gym leader father, Norman, she would probably be just another nobody lost in the crowd. But now, on this island…May was a very different person. Her easygoing and chipper personality shone through, easily making her one of the icons of this tribe.

Drew would never understand what these guys saw in her. She was nothing special. She might be pretty and cute for her age, but she hardly had the dazzling supermodel looks. He didn't hate her, but he certainly wasn't blown away by May.

_**Drew: **It is disturbing how all the men are catering around May as if she is a little princess with a sparkly tiara on her head. When May says that she couldn't sleep comfortably on the sand, we have to build a damn shelter for her. When May complains that she has a stupid toothache, we have to give up our regular meals and eat crap. All of May's needs are tended to…just like the little princess she thinks she is._

Drew sat quietly on the log, leaning in forward to the ground. He had both of his hands over his mouth, indicating to everyone that he was not interested in chatting (and nobody bothered him). He glanced over at May and Brock sitting together. They were in the middle of a light conversation.

"Hey Brock…when are you going to compete in the reward challenge?" May asked.

"After lunch," answered Brock.

"Cool." May smiled. She put her empty bowl aside. "Could you help me wash the dishes before going to the challenge?"

"Anything for you, May," said Brock obediently. Drew rolled his eyes.

_**Drew: **Most of you might think Brock is the official leader on this tribe, but I say that May is truly the one making all the decisions. She has a lot of power over everyone, even more so than Brock. Brock is just a spokesperson on how May feels. The whole tribe has to act depending on how May feels for the day. And like most girls, her mood changes as much as the weather does._

- - -

Professor Birch greeted the challenge participants on the island as they arrived for the reward challenge. As soon as Brock and Cassidy walked in, they were rather surprised to see that Professor Birch was standing in front of three ponds. The largest pond was placed in the center and there were two smaller ponds on either side. The pond wasn't very deep, but it was so clean and clear that they could see the bottom of the ponds.

"Welcome to the reward challenge, Brock and Cassidy." Professor Birch said. "How's everyone doing?"

"Never better, professor!" Brock said in a chipper voice.

"As you could see, there's a huge pond in front of us. Swimming inside are none other than fifty Magikarps, the harmless fish Pokemon." Professor Birch smiled lightly. "Your task here is to carry these fish from the central pond and drop it into the tribe's pond." He then gestured to the tiny two ponds on both sides. "You'll be getting in and out of the ponds for the next five minutes. After the time is up, the tribe with the most fish in their pond will win the reward!" He then looked up at Brock and Cassidy with a tempting smile. "Want to know what you're playing for?"

"Of course we do," said Cassidy.

"Since you're catching fish in this challenge, it's only natural for you to be catching fish in your tribe as well." Professor Birch said this with a wide grin. "Winner of this reward challenge will walk away with fishing equipment for their tribe. This includes a fishing pole, fishing bait, fishing lure, fishing line, fishing net, fishing hooks and much more."

"This is great! We could use the fishing gear in our tribe…we aren't have much luck with fishing." Brock nodded his head in satisfaction.

"On top of all that, I'll throw in three packs of batteries, just for fun." Professor Birch said. "Is this reward worth playing for?"

Cassidy grunted, although she wasn't paying any attention to the blabbering professor. Instead, her eyes, heart and mind were all focused on Brock, who had just taken his shirt off for the challenge. Known best for being flirtatious, Cassidy eyed over his tanned and muscular body with the utmost interest, almost staring at his shirtless body like an animal deliciously feasting on its prey. _Mmm-mm…not bad, not bad at all…._

"Get into your positions," said the professor. "Remember, you've five minutes to transport the Magikarps between ponds." The two castaways ran over to where their tribe's pond was. "Survivors ready? Go!"

Brock and Cassidy immediately dashed into the central pond. The water level rose just above their hips, forcing the two castaways to do an awkward combination of walking and swimming at the same time. Slow and plentiful, it was not difficult for them to catch the fish Pokemon with ease. Brock reached down and pulled out two Magikarps by their tails. The fishes flopped helplessly in the air as Brock climbed out of the water, and then ran over to the Huntail to drop his fishes in. Over at the Gorebyss tribe, Cassidy was going at a quick pace, although it was nowhere as fast as Brock. By the time Brock returned from his first trip, Cassidy was just climbing out of the central pond with her first Magikarp.

Using his large and muscular hands, Brock easily pulled out a plump Magikarp from the central pond. He hugged the fish closely to his chest and leapt out of the central pond, putting the Magikarp into the Huntail pond. For a while, Brock continued dominating this challenge, dragging the fish out of the water like a magician pulling a rabbit out of his top hat. He was a warrior, his performance unstoppable and his determination impenetrable.

Competing side to side with the athletic Pokemon Breeder, Cassidy was more than amazed at how Brock was performing. With a fit physique nicely purchased in a gym, she was definitely no slouch when it came to physical challenges. Over the last four minutes, she managed to put eight fishes into her pond, which was definitely not a meagre quantity. But Brock must have at least double, if not triple, the amount of fish for his tribe's pond. And no matter how hard Cassidy tried, she could never catch up to the strong Pokemon Breeder. He was jumping in and out of the ponds quicker than she could ever imagine, not making any slip-ups or mistakes whatsoever. If this continued on, it seemed like Cassidy was doomed to lose the reward challenge.

Unless…

Cassidy grinned maliciously. She dropped her ninth Magikarp into the Gorebyss pond and ran back. But instead of running to the central pond to pick up another fish, she ran _past_ that. Brock didn't catch on what she was doing at first; he thought that she had given up on the challenge. It took him a few seconds before realizing that Cassidy was running directly to the Huntail pool. She jumped in and began taking a Magikarp _out_ of his pond. She threw the fish out of the water and it flopped helplessly on the sand.

"Hey, you can't do that!" Brock yelled at Cassidy. He turned to Professor Birch immediately. "Professor! She's cheating!"

"Not necessarily, Brock. I didn't say that you _can't_ do that in the rules," said Professor Birch, shrugging.

Brock dropped his mouth in shock as he watched Cassidy throw the Magikarps out of the water, one after another. In the last minute of the challenge, all of his work was being undone before his very eyes.

"This is so unfair!" Brock shouted.

"Pissed that you didn't think of it first, boy?" Cassidy laughed shrilly, tossing yet another Magikarp out of the Huntail pond.

Without saying anything, Brock raced over to the Gorebyss pond and dove in. Imitating Cassidy's strategy, he grabbed one of the Magikarps swimming in her pond and tossed it out. He managed to toss two of them away before Professor Birch finally blew the whistle. The time was up.

"The challenge is over, let's count how many fish each tribe has in their ponds." Professor Birch said, walking over to the Gorebyss pond that Brock was inside. "Remember, the tribe with the most fish in their ponds will win the reward challenge!"

As Brock slowly got out of the opposing tribe's pond, Professor Birch counted all the Magikarps inside the pool of water. There were two flopping Magikarps on the sand.

"Seven…Gorebyss has seven Magikarps," said the Professor.

He walked over to the other pond, careful not to step on any of the Magikarps that was on the ground. There must've been at least half a dozen of fish that Cassidy had thrown onto the sand. She did a great job ruining all of Brock's hard work in the very last minute of the challenge, but was it enough to secure a win?

"One, two, three, four, five, six…" Professor Birch began counting. Cassidy's heart began to sink as she heard the numbers go up. "Seven, eight, nine…and ten. Huntail has ten fishes in their pond! Huntail wins reward!"

And although Cassidy's endgame tactic was brilliant, it was too little too late. No matter what type of sabotage she tried to do in this challenge, Brock's efforts were just too great to overcome. He was too strong, too quick, and simply too dominant. Despite a sudden obstacle that he didn't expect, Brock had still won the challenge.

"Yeah baby!" Brock laughed. He couldn't wait to try out his reward back in camp.

"Brock, you get to bring back all of this fishing gear back to your tribe and some batteries as well!" Professor Birch said. "I'm sorry, Cassidy. Nice effort, but I've nothing for you. You can go back to camp."

- - -

Drinking water was a necessity for survival. The human body couldn't function without water. This was especially true for the thirsty castaways who have to be under the scorching sun every hour of the day. Luckily, the Huntail tribe was provided with an endless supply of water, in the form of a rapid river by their campsite. Once the water was boiled and decontaminated, the castaways could enjoy drinking their water, cups after cups of river water at any time of the day. And after a while, they became so accustomed to the unlimited supply of water in the camp that they don't even worry about it anymore. They don't question _who_ actually does all the work of bringing the water from the river to the campsite. Water has become something that the castaways took granted for.

Every day, James carried a large black pot to where the river was located in his campsite – and it was quite a distance from where their shelter was, he might add! Once he was at the river, he had to lower the pot slowly and cautiously into the strong currents, careful to not drop the pot into the water by accident. After the pot was filled with river water, James had to carry the heavy pot of water back to the shelter. It was a lengthy and exhausting trip. The weight of the water was no laughing matter, so one ought to give James props for being able to carry this massive load over and over again.

But nobody in Huntail ever gave James credit for his work. They don't understand the level of difficulty of transporting water from the river into the shelter. James' work, like the rest of his accomplishments in this tribe, often went unnoticed.

_**James: **I'm responsible for bringing the water to camp everyday, so Brock and May could boil it for everyone else to drink. Honestly, I think they've gotten the better end of the deal! Getting water from that river is a really demanding job. The water…it's really heavy to carry. And the worst part is, I can't just bring back ONE pot of water, so I've to make multiple trips back and forth, carrying a really heavy load in my arms. It must weigh like a ton or something. These people drink a LOT of water, so the work is endless. I sometimes have to make ten to twelve trips a day just to keep up with their needy demand. It's sooooo exhausting._

James narrowed his dull green eyes in the cameras.

_**James: **TK sometimes help me with carrying the water, but most of the time I get like, virtually no help at all. I never get acknowledged for all the work that I do for this tribe. I do so much more work than just cooking and boiling the water, and the least they could do is be more appreciative. Brock gets praises for being a hard worker, but me? I don't even get a pat on the back. Hmph, I feel so unloved by my tribe._

This afternoon, the water supply was running low again. James sighed as he slowly got up from his seat. It was time for him to do another solo water run. He searched around the shelter for his black pot, but it wasn't at the place where it was normally kept. After looking around for a while, James finally found it by the campsite, where it was hanging above the camp fire. Brock, May and Takato were boiling water with the black pot.

"Hey, are you tw…" James quickly corrected himself with an unusually wide smile. "Are you boiling water right now? I want to make another trip to the river before sunset and I need the pot."

"We'll be done soon," said Brock, who answered without even looking up at James.

"So…what were we talking about again before the interruption?" May asked.

"I wanted to know how we're going to use the batteries," replied Takato.

"Batteries?" James asked, slightly confused. "What batteries are you talking about?"

"Remember the fishing gear and the batteries that Brock won as part of the reward challenge?" Takato asked. He flashed a genuine smile to the tanned Pokemon Breeder. "He did a great job winning so many supplies for us! You can't forget that!"

"Yeah, Brock is the man!" May giggled.

"I think we should use the batteries for the radio! I remember seeing a radio in our supplies." James suggested cheerfully. "It's soooo quiet out here and we could really use some music to liven up this place!"

Brock rubbed his chin thoughtfully, but slowly shook his head.

"Sorry James, but I don't know if that's wise. I was thinking that we should use our batteries for the flashlight instead," said Brock.

"Ah, that's such a waste of perfectly good batteries!" James screeched. "If we need a light to illuminate the darkness at night, we could always use our torches!"

"No, I think it's best if we save the batteries for the flashlight." Brock said. His tone of voice was firmer this time. "In case of an emergency, it's always best if we've a spare flashlight handy."

"We could take the batteries out of the radio and put it in the flashlight when we've to use it…" James suggested, although his voice was trailing off without confidence. "And we've so many batteries, I don't get why you're being so cheap about it."

"James, James, James…" Brock sighed, speaking to James as if he was a father lecturing his child. "If we use the batteries on a luxury item like the radio, we're going to use up all the power."

"Nothing urgent is going to happen though…" James argued.

"You never know what happens out here," said Takato.

"Besides James, Brock won us this reward. If it wasn't for him, we wouldn't even have batteries." May said. "If he wanted to use them in the flashlight, it's the right decision. He can do _anything_ he wants with the batteries that he won for us."

"I didn't know that Brock is suddenly in charge of how we use all the supplies. It's not his, it's _ours_." James said, frowning.

_**May: **A few days have passed and the true personalities of several people are beginning to show. James might act like he's this nice guy for the first couple of days, but his acting skills must be weakening because his ugly qualities are starting to show. Sometimes, James could be a real pain in the butt. He just complains so much, all the time. All he does is whine in that screechy voice of his. It gets annoying after a while._

May groaned softly.

_**May: **Even when there isn't a problem, he has to start something just to stir things up. That's because James is part of Team Rocket, and trouble is what Team Rocket does best. Go figure._

"James, I don't want to pick a fight with you, but you aren't making any sense at all." Brock burrowed his thick eyebrows at him. "I think we should just drop the subject while we can."

"No! You're being totally unfair, Brock!" James' voice was growing gradually snippier. "You think you're the hero after winning a reward challenge, but you aren't as great as think you are!"

"I never said anything about wanting to be a hero…" Brock mumbled angrily. "I was just doing my best in the challenge!"

"James…you're being an ass right now. Please stop," said May. Sitting beside her, Takato muttered "yeah" and nodded his head.

James glared at the trio with scornful disdain. He was clearly angry, but he also knew better than to express it in front of them. He mustered a forceful smile on his face, every single one of his acting classes was paying off.

"I'm sorry…I was being sooooo inappropriate there." James apologized in a weak voice. "I don't know what got into me, but I'm going to take the stick out of my ass now!"

In the air, James used his hands to make a brief motion of him drawing something out of his bum. It made Brock and Takato laughed. May glared at the Team Rocket member sceptically.

"It's alright, I forgive you." Brock smiled. "But I don't want you to think I'm trying to look heroic. I don't have an ulterior motive for all the things I'm doing in camp. I only do what's best for my tribe."

"Yep, you're soooo right." James said, attempting his best to sound sincere. "Sorry!"

_**James: **I loathe Brock so much! He isn't a team player or a noble leader – he's just a twerp. May and Takato stroke his enormous ego too much, because Brock really believes that the whole tribe can't make a decision without him! He's so…so…overrated!_

James sighed exasperatedly, trying his best to get the cameras to empathize with him as he vent.

_**James:** He expects us to get down on our knees and worship him as if he's the supreme ruler of the universe. No, I refuse to submission! If he's going to continue to be a condescending ass, then somebody needs to take him down a notch!_

If only Takuya was on the Huntail tribe, then he would know that it wasn't just women who were callous, ruthless and catty.

Some men could be too. 

- - -

**DAY 8**

When Mimi woke up this morning, she could feel a gentle breeze brushing past her sleek, brown hair. Climbing out of the shelter, she could feel the warm sunlight beaming on her face. As she looked up, Mimi could see several creamy white clouds drifting sluggishly in the sky. An enthusiastic smile formed on her heart-shaped face. Mimi traveled to Hawaii and other exotic places before on her luxurious vacations, but the weather on these tropical islands of Dewford has been more enjoyable than she could ever imagine. It would be a waste to not spend these precious hours of sunlight wisely.

So she decided to go work on her tan.

Within minutes, Mimi changed into her swimsuit. She wore a delicate pink bikini that was plastered with magenta flower patterns. Although the tight swimsuit looked as if it might be two sizes too small for her, the skinny brunette filled the bikini beautifully in every part. She stretched her twig-like arms in the air, drawing emphasis on the piercing in her bellybutton. Mimi was disappointed that she had forgotten to bring her favourite pair of sunglasses with her to this island. Oh well, she sighed softly. At least she remembered to bring sun lotion!

She looked around the bleak camp with her big, vacant eyes. Mimi had difficult finding a desirable place to lie on the sand. The jungle was too muddy and the sandy beach was polluted by tiny insects. Where to go? Where to sunbathe? Mimi sighed again, sounding even more frustrated than before. Oh, these decisions were just so difficult to make!

_**Mimi: **The best thing about being on Survivor is that some of us get to work on our tans. I used to fork over big bucks to get a fake tan in salons, but the island tan is free of all charges! Tropical tan is so natural and so sexy. I mean, I don't want to look like I'm crisped and baked in the sun though. Too much sun isn't good for my skin! I might not notice the effects now, but when I age…I'll get wrinkles! And that's why I've to use sunscreen. Besides mascara, it's another must-have item for island survival!_

She flashed a toothy grin as she elaborated the details about her tan.

_**Mimi: **Ooh, if I can make my skin have a golden bronze colour with a slight touch of creamy white, I'll leave this game a very satisfied woman!_

After putting over a lot of consideration into her decision, Mimi finally settled down by the area just outside of the Gorebyss shelter. She spread her large beach towel on the sand, giggling as she lied on her back. Mimi grabbed her bottle of lotion and began to rub it gently on her flat stomach. As she did so, Cassidy was approaching her.

"Mind if I join you?" Cassidy asked with a jagged grin on her pointed face. She looked like a menacing shark.

"Sure thing, Cass!" Mimi giggled.

Cassidy strutted towards Mimi, proudly carrying her delicate body like a prized possession. After all, she did spend a lot of her hard-earned money to purchase this flawless physique, so she was going to flaunt her body every chance she had. There weren't many appreciative eyes to enjoy the spectacle, although some of the cameramen couldn't resist whistling as she passed by. The smile on Cassidy's face grew wider. She thrust her chest forward, with each of her strides appearing more confident.

The gorgeous Team Rocket member lied down on the sand beside Mimi. She was wearing a skimpy black bikini that showed a lot of skin. She shifted her body a few times on the sand and released a soft, uncomfortable moan. A few seconds later, Cassidy sat up and reached her arms over to her back. She was unhooking her black top.

"Cass!" Mimi gasped loudly. "Are you planning to go…nude?"

"I often like to take things all the way. Full throttle, baby!" Cassidy cackled.

Cassidy removed her bikini top, tossing the thin piece of cloth aside. She didn't seem to mind that Mimi's eyes were bulging out in awe. All Cassidy did was smirk smugly, flipped her reddish blonde hair over her shoulder, and lied down on the sand again.

"Oh wow! I…I totally admire your courage!" Mimi said, her eyes gazing up and down Cassidy's body. A look of envy twinkled in her naïve, brown eyes. It was difficult _not_ to look at Cassidy. She was a spectacle.

"I don't see why you're being so damn modest, Mimi." Cassidy said. "Just take it off, already!"

"Me…? No way!" Mimi giggled, blushing. "You're the hottie, Cass. Not me."

"You need to showcase them, or they won't be at their money's worth," explained Cassidy.

"What?" Mimi laughed shakily.

"Fess up. What plastic surgeon did you see and when did you get yours?" Cassidy asked.

"Cass! I think you've mistaken me. This is my body, one hundred percent natural," replied Mimi.

"Sure…" Cassidy smirked. She quickly scanned Mimi's body with her daunting eyes. "If you say so, princess."

Sitting inside the shelter, Rika watched the two ladies sunbathe from a distance. Her empty face didn't express what she was feeling, although it was apparent from her grumpy growls that she wasn't impressed. She nudged Zoe, who had been napping, and mumbled something to her that was inaudible to the cameras. Zoe nodded her head, and the two girls disappeared into the forest.

_**Rika: **I find myself constantly at awe with some of the foolish actions these women partake in. I can't believe Cassidy and Mimi are actually sunbathing instead of doing productive work. Don't they see that there's food to be cooked and firewood to collect? _

She scowled unpleasantly at the cameras, looking unimpressed.

_**Rika: **These plastic women…their shallowness never ceases to amaze me!_

In the dense forest, Rika was teaching her blonde companion on how to use a bow. Zoe clumsily holds the wooden bow in her hand, an arrow in the other. Rika stood in front of her with her arms crossed.

"You put the arrow here…" Rika said, demonstrating the location with her index finger. "Then you draw this string and pull."

"Ack!" Zoe yelped in fright. When she tried to pull the string, it snapped back at her.

"Don't _yank_ it." Rika explained. "Don't put too much force on the string."

"O…k." Zoe said nervously.

She tried again. Zoe pulled the string on the bow with medium force, which she let go immediately. The arrow flew straight into the ground. It didn't even travel three inches from where she was standing.

"I'm not really good with this. Sorry." Zoe laughed.

"You'll get the hang of it," Rika muttered.

"Yeah, thanks for teaching me how to shoot an arrow, Rika." Zoe smiled genuinely at the Tamer. "I want to find a way to contribute to the tribe _other than_ picking apples from the trees."

"Why doesn't that goggle-boy teach you?" Rika asked. She wasn't being nosy, she was just curious.

"We didn't want people to think we're spending too much time together, so we're chilling off…for now" said Zoe, shrugging her shoulders casually.

"I see."

"Besides, it's great getting to know you, Rika!" Zoe added with a chipper smile. "None of us really know that much about you, so this is an opportunity for us to bond."

"Bonding…ha." Rika almost wanted to laugh.

"I'm serious!" Zoe said. "I appreciate all the work you've done for this tribe, Rika. You're one of the hardest workers out here."

Rika didn't say anything. She cast her icy blue eyes downwards, finding an interesting place on the ground to stare at. As far as she was concerned, the best way to handle a compliment was through awkward silence. Even though Zoe sounded genuine enough with her remark, Rika never responded well to praise. In her opinion, flattery is only for the weak people who need their egos buttered up and stroked. And Rika definitely wasn't weak.

"Can you believe how lazy Cassidy and Mimi are? They're getting a tan out here, for crying out loud!" Zoe continued, making a face. "Are they even taking this game seriously like you and I are?"

Rika slowly looked up at Zoe. They exchanged knowing glances with each other.

And then, Rika smiled – a thin, barely visible smile.

It looked as if the two ladies have found something in common.

- - -

Today, JP Shibiyama was on a mission. Well actually, he was on two missions.

Normally not a big fan of the water, JP joined his tribe members TK and Brock on the motorboat as they ventured out to the sea and catch fish. One of the reasons why they came here was because Huntail wasn't satisfied with their current food situation. JP suggested that they should put their newly-won fishing gear into good use. Deep in the ocean was a habitat rich in marine life living and JP ate enough seafood to know that they were both nutritious and delicious! So today, he was determined to bring back to camp lots and lots of fish to eat.

But his secondary purpose for coming on this trip was a strategic one. JP knew that if he doesn't do something to improve his position on the tribe, he and his fellow outcast TK would be voted off soon. Very few people knew this, but JP was always thinking about his strategy in this game. He posed as a carefree, goofy and jovial tribe member that everybody would like and nobody would view as a threat. Some had already dismissed JP as a dumb broad who couldn't think for himself. But there was an analytical and shrewd side that JP hid very well from his tribe members. If they ever underestimated him in this game, they would be unpleasantly surprised.

_**JP: **It doesn't take a rocket scientist dude to realize that both TK and I are royally screwed! It couldn't get any simpler than this…we aren't in a majority alliance and nobody will give two shits when they vote us off. Something must be done, man. This has got to stop. If I want to survive, I'll have to start campaigning for myself._

He rubbed his chin, signalling to the cameras that he was in thought.

_**JP: **Right now, our tribe is run by a clique consisted of Brock, Takato and May. Those three hold all the power on this tribe and they make all the decisions around camp. Brock and May are the leaders, while Takato is like their little puppy on a leash. Personally, I'm not too crazy about the pretentious trio. Brock could say that he's a team player all he wants, but everybody knows that he isn't going to vote for either of them before TK or me._

JP grinned, flashing a peace sign to the cameras.

_**JP: **Yeah, so the odds might be against me. But hey, I've gotta at least try. My friends call me the King of Persuasion, so let's see if I'll be able to persuade some votes to change!_

TK leered down into the ocean, perhaps trying to see a fish that was swimming close to the surface. All was calm and peaceful.

"Fishing takes a lot of patience, young grasshopper." Brock grinned, patting TK on the shoulder.

"And we have all the time in the world," said JP, as he relaxes inside the small motorboat.

"Yeah, I just hope we catch something though…" TK said. He smiled. "I want to eat something other than rice and corn."

"They taste great, but this repetitive cycle of meals is tedious for my taste buds! It drives me nuuuuuts! No offense, Brock." JP said.

"None taken." Brock said casually. "But I'm just wondering, why is it always about food with you guys?"

"We're hungry," said TK and JP together. They looked at each other and laughed. Brock soon joined in the laughter.

"You guys are a hoot. Both of you add so much enthusiasm and cheerfulness to our team morale. It's great!" Brock grinned.

"Yeah, but…" said TK, but his voice was trailing off.

"But we're probably next on the chopping block anyway, so why bother?" JP let out a deep, inflated sigh.

Brock frowned in disapproval.

"Don't say that, nothing is set in stone yet." Brock said.

"We could take a hint when we see one," said JP. He held up five fingers on one hand and two fingers on another. "Five versus two, we get it, Brock."

"We're the outcasts." TK added.

"No!" Brock shouted. "I don't want either of you to think you're outcasts! We're a team and we're supposed to be united together! Nobody has talked about voting you off!"

"Who will you vote for if we lose the next immunity challenge then?" JP asked.

"Hmm…" Brock thought about this question for a moment. "What do you two propose?"

"James." JP quickly replied. "He's a liar and he stinks. We don't need him on our tribe."

"We can dispose him just like that," TK snapped his fingers in front of Brock's face.

_**TK: **JP and I want James gone and we'll work at every angle on Brock to make it happen. After what James has done to us, we simply can't trust him and neither should Brock. I'm just warning him about the consequences of having a backstabber as an ally. We're probably grasping at straws, but it never hurts to try. Who knows, we might just be able to buy ourselves more time…_

"James is a Team Rocket member and he can't be trusted! He's a backstabbing scumbag…trust us, we've been at the end of his sting – and it hurts, dude…it really hurts." JP said emotionally, pounding his chest twice.

"Well…" Brock sounded hesitant about the idea.

"Think about it, Brock! He has a negative aura around him when he speaks. James is a _huuuuuge _downer to tribe morale," said JP in an aggressive voice. TK was nodding his head to JP's every word.

"I do agree with you on that," said Brock.

"All he does around camp is carry the damn water…anybody could do that!" JP scoffed. "He doesn't do any other work besides water duty. Dude, that sounds pretty lazy to me."

"Yeah…" Brock agreed.

"Just help us out here, Brock! If you respect us, then don't let us be disgraced by letting James outlast both of us." JP said. "We're not asking for much – just vote James off before us."

Brock sighed. He hated seeing the desperate expressions on these boys' faces. They look so eager and genuine. It tugged at Brock's emotions, even though his logic wanted to defy against them.

"I can't guarantee you anything," said Brock, looking away.

"You can have time to think about it," said TK calmly.

"Okay." Brock nodded his head as he reeled in his empty fishing rod. "But in the meantime, it might be a good idea to keep winning those immunity challenges."

_**Brock: **JP is a good kid with a heart of gold. He's funny and enthusiastic, which are both traits that I don't see in James. I like JP a lot. In fact, there's very little reason why James should get to stay over him. However, if JP and TK get their way this time, will they be able to persuade me to vote Drew off at the next tribal council? What will they do at the tribal council after that? Out there on the boat, JP was really working it. He's very talented at manipulating his words. That's what I'm most afraid of…_

Brock sighed deeply. He hated hearing what he was saying in this confessional.

_**Brock: **JP is a slick talker. He tells you the things that he thinks you'd like to hear. And because of that, he just doesn't seem sincere to me. He's making a lot of promises left and right, promises that I don't think he'll be able to keep. If I save him this time, he's just going to beg for a second time and a third time. No matter how much I might like JP, I can't allow him to stay on my tribe for long._

- - -

It was the third immunity challenge. Just like always, the Golden Pokeball was back up for grabs. Some of the castaways eyed the immunity idol with determination and desire. They were the outcasts who needed this immunity the most. With immunity, they were guaranteed safety. They couldn't be voted off in tribal council, no matter how badly their tribe members wanted to get rid of them.

On the Gorebyss tribe, Rika was feeling the pressure to win this immunity challenge today. The women have been keeping strategic matters hush-hush in front of her, but Rika was no dummy. She knew that she was on the chopping block. She defied and rebelled and restrained against the almighty Cassidy and her cult of minions. When Rika spoke and expressed her opinions openly, she was also putting herself in a lot of danger. She needed that immunity.

On the Huntail tribe, JP felt at risk as well. No matter how much or how hard he tried to preach to Brock, it didn't seem to be working. All JP did was join the wrong alliance in the first tribal council and now he was suddenly the outcast waiting to be voted off. If only he could have more time, he'd be able to persuade more people to have a change of heart, he just knew it. The immunity idol could buy JP three extra days that could make all the difference in his fate.

Seven Mareep were frolicking playfully inside a gigantic mud pen. Mud splattered on their sleet white cotton fur as they danced around. There was a tiny orb-like sphere at the end of their blue tails, which sometimes glowed in a dim light. Professor Birch stood outside, right beside a steel gate – the only entrance and exit through the pen. The castaways stared at the sheep curiously, wondering what they had to do in this challenge.

"This challenge will be divided into seven rounds. Every round, one member from each tribe will go inside this pen and try to successfully catch one of the Mareep and bring it outside of this pen." Professor Birch said, smiling fondly at the electrical sheep Pokemon. "The first person to carry a Mareep outside of the fences will win one point for their tribe. The first tribe to win four points will take home immunity and guarantee themselves three more days in this game."

Professor Birch then took out two pairs of pink rubber gloves.

"In addition, please wear these rubber gloves so you don't get electrocuted by the Mareeps."

Some people looked stunned at this sudden revelation. _Electrocuted…what?_

"What do you mean…electrocuted?" Mimi shrieked in panic. Although the fluffy Mareep looked cute in its woolly appearance, Mimi had no idea about its hidden nature…to shoot random jolts from their tails.

"Pairs have been randomly drawn…" Professor Birch ignored the panicking voices. "Takuya and James, you're the first pair up!"

Takuya and James slowly filed inside the gate. The Mareep stopped moving around at their presence and their beady black eyes narrowed down at the sudden intruders. Their lights on their tails seemed to be glowing more brightly now.

"Ooh, I used to wear Mareep wool hat when I was a child," James smiled to himself. "Seeing this pokemon brings back fond memories!"

"Survivors ready…go!"

Takuya immediately dashed forward, leaping towards one of the Mareep. The alert Mareep jumped away and Takato ended up with a face-plant into the mud. The Mareep were baaing loudly, almost as if they were mock laughing at his pitiful attempts. Despite having a big fluff of wool on their bodies, the sheep were moving at a shockingly agile speed. Takuya snarled and quickly got back up on his feet, with half of his body covered in mud.

James took a more cautious method to catch these sheep Pokemon. He tiptoed in the mud as he approached closer and closer to one Mareep, until James managed to force it into a corner. And then, in one swift motion, he bent down and swiped it in his arms. Success! The petite Mareep tried to fight to release itself from James' arms, but the athletic Team Rocket member hurried back to the gate entrance and rushed out. Takuya growled, frustrated that he couldn't even approach one Mareep without scaring it away.

"James catches a Pokemon!" Professor Birch declared. "Huntail is ahead with one point!"

"If only I'm this successful with _stealing_ Pokemon!" James said as he gently put the muddy Mareep down on the ground. TK patted him on the back.

"Next up, Zoe versus JP!" Professor Birch said.

The pair of Frontiers smiled at each other as they entered the arena. Zoe scanned her emerald green eyes across the muddy field. She already spotted a Mareep daydreaming at the corner with its guard down. That was the sheep she wanted to catch and bring back.

"Begin!"

Following James' effective strategy, the Frontiers were slow and steady when they approached the sheep. Some of the smarter sheep leered at them suspiciously and backed off, knowing that something wasn't right with the two intruders. But others weren't suspecting a thing, even as Zoe sneaked up behind one and grabbed it with her hands. The Mareep shrieked in pain, but Zoe didn't give up as she dragged the sheep by its tail. Suddenly, the Mareep wiggled its tail and released a small jolt of electricity. Although Zoe was wearing rubber gloves, she could feel a slight sting in her hands. She released the sheep's tail by surprise due to the pain. The Mareep was able to break free and ran away instantly. Zoe cursed at herself for the silly mistake.

On the other side of the muddy field, JP had a few kernels of corn in his hand. The tempted Mareep looked at the food delightedly, but they were too intimidated to come close because of JP's large built. Just as one Mareep walked closer towards him, JP withdrew his hand and grabbed the sheep with his large hands. Using his massive upper body strength, he carried the sheep outside of the gate with ease.

"Huntail has another catch! They're leading with two points…Gorebyss is still struggling with getting on the scoreboard."

The next pair to enter into the mud pen was Drew and Rika. Using swift and quick footing, Drew was able to capture a Mareep within seconds. But as he ran back to the gate entrance, another Mareep butted its head into Drew's legs, knocking the green-haired Pokemon Coordinator into the mud. The Mareep that he was holding dropped to the ground as well. Rika used this opportunity wisely, snatching the Mareep (that looked as if it was either paralyzed or confused) into her arms. She ran towards the exit and scored a point for her tribe.

"Rika brings the tribe a Mareep!" Professor Birch announced. "Gorebyss has one point, but still trailing behind by Huntail!"

Cassidy and May participated in the fourth round of the challenge. As soon as Cassidy ran inside the pen, she looked like she knew exactly what she was doing. Her eyes targeted on a Mareep and with her athletic body, she easily caught it with her huge hands. Meanwhile, May looked so helpless and lost in the challenge, turning her head around in different directions as Mareep ran around her. She had no idea which Mareep to catch at all. Her hesitation was costly and the agile Cassidy effortlessly won this round for Gorebyss.

"Gorebyss and Huntail are now tied with two points!"

The fifth round was a face-off between Casey and Brock. It didn't seem like the petite Casey ever stood a chance against Brock. Proving why he was labelled as the 'challenge powerhouse', Brock caught a Mareep seconds into the challenge. The stubborn sheep fought back by shooting harmless electrical jolts at Brock, but he held on nevertheless. He dragged the sheep outside of the gate in a record time, quicker than anybody else accomplished in the challenge thus far. Casey sighed as she stared at her clean hands. She didn't even have a chance to put all of her effort in the challenge yet, but Brock has already finished.

"Huntail is now leading with three points." Professor Birch said, "The next match up is between Delia and Takato. If Huntail catches another sheep, they'll be able to win immunity for the second time in a row!"

Takato enters the mud pen with a shaky smile. This was his time to be the hero. If only he could catch one of the Mareep (there were two left) and bring it out of the mud pen before Delia, Takato could redeem his past failures in front of his tribe members. This was a _huge_ moment for him.

"This is for immunity…survivors ready? Go!"

Only two Mareep remained in the mud pen. With less sheep crammed in the confined area, it was easier for the sheep to dodge the contestants' grasp. Takato ran around aimlessly, like an active toddler in a playpen. Delia took a calmer and slower approach, but only because she was struggling to move around in the mud. Her long legs were sinking into the mud deeper than she had anticipated. A few times, her feet would get stuck in the mud and wouldn't budge. Her tribe members yelled encouragingly at her, but Delia could do nothing. There was no way she could move her feet at all! They were stuck!

Delia's difficulty to travel in the mud was a huge disadvantage to her tribe. Takato relaxed in his environment over time, beginning to grow more comfortable around the sheep and the mud. When he was close enough to one of the Mareeps, he literally jumped on the sheep, tackling his entire body on the poor defenceless Mareep. It was a daring move, but it moved off. Takato was finally able to stop the Mareeps from running and put it safely in his hands. Although the Mareep tried to send a weak shock to Takato's hands, the goggle-boy didn't flinch to any of the shocks. He bravely ran through the gate exit, where his tribe members were cheering him on.

"Huntail wins immunity!" Professor Birch announced, raising his hands in the air.

Takato's petite body might be cloaked with mud from head to toe, but that didn't stop his tribe members from running towards him and embraced the little boy. Even TK was getting dirt plastered on his face, and he didn't even get to compete in the challenge. But nobody seemed to mind. Takato won them the immunity challenge and that was all it mattered.

"Nicely done, Takato." Professor Birch handed the goggle-boy the golden Pokemon. "Your tribe will be safe three more days."

Takato was beaming with joy. Brock patted him on the shoulder vigorously.

"I'm sorry, Gorebyss…but it looks like another trip to tribal council for your tribe." Professor Birch said, shrugging with indifference. "One of you will be voted off tomorrow night."

Rika angrily kicked her feet in the mud. Some of the tribe members shot dirty glances at her, but Rika didn't care what they thought of her at that moment. She never cared about _their _worthless opinions. The only thing that mattered was that she lost this crucial immunity challenge – no, even though Rika won her round fairly and respectively, it was her tribe members who failed to do the same. They had let her down…they were the ones who lost the challenge for her. Gorebyss didn't win immunity. They had to go tribal council. Somebody was about to be voted off.

It all felt like these were the final pages leading towards an anticlimactic conclusion.

Rika knew she was doomed.

- - -

It was night time. After the second immunity loss, most of the women were too depressed to sleep. Rika lied inside the shelter with her eye open, staring angrily at the ceiling. She was still fuming inside – either at herself or her tribe members, nobody knows. Delia was also awake, although it was more because she was too occupied with coughing and sneezing like a sick dog. The only person who could sleep through all of this noise was Cassidy, who spread her long arms across the shelter like an eagle with its open wings. This was the pose of somebody confident, somebody secure, somebody who knew they wouldn't be voted off tomorrow night. That was why Cassidy could sleep so peacefully at night.

As for Mimi and Casey, the duo didn't want to spend the rest of their night inside the shelter, listening to Rika's angry grumbles, Delia's ailing coughs, or Cassidy's loud snores. The two girls decided to go on a little journey in the dark. They sneaked out of the shelter together in their tiptoes, giggling softly as they made their runaway. Nobody noticed or cared about their absence.

"I wonder where Takuya and Zoe are," whispered Casey.

"They haven't been sleeping in the shelter for the last few days," murmured Mimi.

"I know!" Casey said suspiciously. "It's so shady!"

"Takuya and Zoe are shady people." Mimi said as she clicked her tongue.

_**Casey: **Lately, Takuya and Zoe spend their nights together in the forest. They don't even sleep in the shelter anymore…they must be sleeping under a tree or something. It's really none of my business if those two want to snuggle next to each other, but they're becoming the unofficial love birds of Gorebyss. Ever heard of the legendary Rob and Amber? Romantic couples are as bad as hitting a foul ball in baseball…they mess everything up and we need to avoid them._

Casey shrugged her shoulders. She tilted her Electabuzz team baseball cap with her left hand.

_**Casey: **No matter what they're doing with each other, the power duo of Takuya and Zoe must be broken up. Even if they're not a couple, they're just too strong for a twosome. If they want to look for love, they should try dating each other outside – when they're NOT playing a game for one million bucks._

"Should we really be spying on them, Mimi?" Casey asked nervously.

"Of course! We need to know what those two are up to every time they're in the forest!" Mimi whispered loudly.

Casey and Mimi were standing behind some bushes, conducting a conversation in soft and barely audible whispers.

"I think I see them…" Casey whispered, pointing. It was a dark night, especially since there were no luminous stars in the cloudy sky tonight.

"Oh my god! Where?" Mimi asked obliviously. She couldn't see where Casey's finger was pointing at.

"By that tree…they're sitting under it." Casey said.

"Yeah, I see them now." Mimi slowly nodded. She lowered her whisper into a barely inaudible mumble. "Let's move closer to them so we can hear what they're saying."

Mimi and Casey shifted their feet in tiny steps as they crept towards the couple, who were sitting under an apple tree. Takuya and Zoe didn't hear or see about the spies' presence, even though Mimi and Casey were standing very closely behind the two. On closer look, Mimi could see that Zoe had her head restfully on Takuya's shoulder.

"We shouldn't really isolate ourselves from the rest of the tribe," laughed Takuya. "They'll get suspicious."

"I don't care." Zoe said defiantly.

"Those women are awful to you, Zoe. They keep picking on you as if you don't have any feelings." Takuya sighed. "All the gossip and cattiness…I can understand if you don't want to live with them."

"They think I don't know about they're talking behind my back, but I do." Zoe mumbled.

"Yeah…"

"I feel really lonely here, Takuya." Zoe's voice became more fragile and shattered. "I'm used to having so many friends, but nobody likes me here. The women all hate me."

"That's not true…I think Rika doesn't hate you." Takuya chuckled. "And believe me…that's a huge compliment coming from someone like Rika. That chick hates almost everyone."

"Takuya, I'm being serious." Zoe said weakly. "This tribe…this game isn't fun anymore. I don't want to live in a tyranny where it's either Cassidy's way or there's no way!"

Takuya sighed, but he didn't say anything. He used his fingers to stroke Zoe's blonde hair as she spoke. It wasn't the right time for him to give an explanation or an advice, although he had plenty of it in his head. Sometimes, it was just good for Takuya to be the crying shoulder and listen to Zoe vent.

_**Mimi: **At first, I thought I'd really like Zoe because she seems like such a cool chick. I always heard that blondes have the most fun out of everyone, so I tried my best to get to know her. But I couldn't be more wrong. Zoe is the most self-absorbed person I've ever met! She always has to be in the center of attention of everything. It's always me, me, me!_

Mimi frowned as she twirled with a strand of her long, brown hair.

_**Mimi: **She is just a bottle blonde who wallows in self-pity because nobody can tolerate her snobby attitude. Zoe, you're not Miss Universe and you're not Miss Congeniality. Just get over yourself already!_

"They're all so fake…so phony…so shallow." Zoe complained, dropping her head. "You're the only one I have, Takuya. You're the only person who I know I can trust."

"Yeah…"

"Hey Takuya, let's vote Cassidy off next tribal council." Zoe mumbled.

"Yeah…"

Mimi tapped Casey lightly on the shoulder, indicating that they have heard enough. The two women tiptoed out of the bushes and started to return to camp.

And then, they woke Cassidy up and told her everything. 

- - -

**DAY 9**

A sheet of dark clouds lingered gloomily in the morning sky. Not a shred of sunlight shone in the miserable Gorebyss campsite today. Although noon was soon approaching, the sky still had a brooding appearance, like a bad omen foreshadowing the events that will happen at the upcoming tribal council that Gorebyss has to attend.

Cassidy looked up at the sky and sighed deeply. The depressing atmosphere of the camp was not what upsets her, but rather it was the disappointment of knowing that she couldn't work on her tan under this weather. Thus, Cassidy and Mimi were forced to find another outlet for entertainment instead. Luckily, they didn't have to look far from their shelter before they saw the perfect alternative activity for both of them to do during their pastime: cooking.

The women carried two black pots into their tiny shelter. Inside the pots were a modest amount of ripe apples that Zoe and Suzie picked from trees a few days before. Mimi took out an apple and began to slice it into six even pieces with her pocket knife. She handed one of the apple slices to Cassidy, which she greedily accepted and plopped in her mouth.

"I wish there was a way to make these apples taste better," said Cassidy.

"Don't worry, Cass! We've plenty of apples to experiment with." Mimi grinned energetically, "We'll figure a way to make them taste better."

"What do you propose, missy?" Cassidy asked with an arched eyebrow.

"We could try boiling the apples over the fire," suggested Mimi. Cassidy responded to that suggestion with an amused expression on her face.

"You can't be serious…" Cassidy laughed.

"Hey, if it works out…I'll start my own Survivor cookbook – and these "Burnt Apples" would be the first recipe in the book." Mimi giggled.

_**Cassidy: **Out of everyone here, I'm kind of surprised that I bonded the most with Mimi. That girl has a good fashion sense and a sharp tongue, just like me. The best part about her is that we think and act so alike. We've so much in common that we're almost like sisters, as scary as that might sound. Oh…except that I'm better looking than Mimi, that's for sure. And okay, she's physically weak and completely useless in challenges. She's a princess, a diva, a spoiled little city brat._

Cassidy smirked smugly. She crossed her muscular arms, holding them tightly across her bosom.

_**Cassidy: **But guess what, I like Mimi. So as far as I'm concerned, that girl isn't going anywhere until I don't need her vote anymore._

Mimi and Cassidy continued their light conversations in the shelter for a while. Then suddenly, Mimi elbowed Cassidy's arm. The Team Rocket member responded with a sharp grunt.

"Check it out," said Mimi, gesturing her finger at where the forest was.

"Oh." Cassidy smiled impishly. "The skank has returned."

Zoe was marching confidently towards the shelter. Although there was no sunshine, her sleek blonde hair still glowed radiantly even from a distance away. Every step she took, her hair would flow in the direction that the gentle breeze was blowing. There was a faint, almost dreamy smile on her round face. Her red Survivor buff was wrapped around her skinny body, modestly covering most of her body except for her abs. No matter what direction one looked at Zoe Orimoto, she looked gorgeous. She looked like one of the mystical goddess that frequented in ancient mythologies.

"Is she…approaching us?" Mimi asked, lowering her voice in a whisper.

"Yeeeow!" Cassidy grinned widely, exposing her shark-like teeth. "That takes guts, I'll give her that."

"I'm not in the mood to talk with Zoe today." Mimi rolled her eyes, turning her back away from the blonde. "I don't want to listen to her babble on about herself again."

"Delia is with her. They're chatting," said Cassidy.

"Huh?" Mimi turned around, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Oh yeah…hey, why is _Delia _with her?"

The single mother from Pallet Town was walking behind the blonde, limping a bit in her steps due to her weak knees. From time to time, Zoe would turn around and say something to Delia. She would respond with a pleasant smile and then, the two women would exchange a quick and hearty laugh together.

"I'm interested in finding out what they're saying," said Cassidy.

"Zoe is probably acting like a martyr again," Mimi scoffed. "It's what she does best."

_**Zoe: **I'd like to believe that I'm a nice person. I…I'm not mean-spirited and I never intend to cause anybody harm. Right now, my relationship with the women is hostile. I don't like the feeling that we've to be at each other's throats all the time. Takuya was right, this is so catty and childish. We're above this type of immature behaviour. Can't we just get along?_

The blonde nodded her head, smiling confidently to the cameras.

_**Zoe: **I had enough of the arguing and bitching behind each other's backs. It's time for us to bury the hatchet and start over again. I don't want any of us to leave here with ill feelings towards each other. And that's why I think Cassidy and I should attempt at reconciliation._

Zoe stopped walking when she arrived at the shelter. Delia stood behind her, still wearing a faint and pleasant smile on her face. Cassidy and Mimi stared at the women suspiciously, neither of them speaking. A nervous grin appeared on Zoe's face, but she finally broke the tension by speaking up first.

"Hey! What's up, girls?" Zoe said cheerfully.

"What do you want?" Cassidy grunted. From her tone of voice, it was obvious that she was indicating she had no time for Zoe.

"I know we aren't on the best of terms right now, but I really want to patch things up between us," said Zoe.

"Really?" Mimi asked doubtfully. She turned around and glanced at Cassidy for reassurance.

"Yeah, I don't want any of us to leave here hating each other. Why should we be enemies when we can be friends?" Zoe said earnestly.

"So, are you going to apologize?" Cassidy asked.

"Uh…" Zoe looked like she was taken back by this question. Her vivid green eyes shifted uncomfortably as she fished for a response in her hand. "Why? I didn't do anything wrong."

"Why are you talking to us then?" Cassidy snapped.

"Because I know you aren't satisfied with me. I want to make up with you!" Zoe replied.

"Oh." Cassidy said in a sarcastic tone. "You're so sweet, Zoe. You almost make me want to puke honeycombs and buttercups."

_**Cassidy: **Last night, Mimi and Casey did a little spying on the lovebirds and they found out about Zoe's plans to vote me out. She was complaining to that dumbass Takuya about how selfish and classless and tyrannous I was. Ha! Who does that bitch think she is? Trust me, there's a whole different side to my nastiness that I haven't exposed yet. I'm a tough chick and I'm not going down without a fight. If Zoe thinks she can vote me out that easily, then she better think again!_

"Cassidy!" Zoe said this in a stern tone. "I'm trying my best to resolve this in a mature here! Please cooperate with me!"

"Here we go again..." Mimi muttered in a voice packed with disdain. She silently mouthed the word 'me' a few times to Cassidy, who smirked.

"If any of you have a problem with me, then you should just say it to my face." Zoe said, her voice growing more aggressive by the minute.

"Okay. Here is what's wrong with you, Miss Orimoto." Cassidy snapped, happily complying with Zoe's orders for the first time. "I think you're a self-centered snob who thinks the whole universe revolves around your narcissistic self. Most of us don't even give a crap about you, but you act like you're entitled to everything that happens in this tribe."

"What?" Zoe gasped in shock.

"And you're also a sleazy bitch. We've all seen you act like you're this sweet, genuine girl-next-door who just wants to get along with everybody on the tribe. It's an act. We all know it." Cassidy continued her angry tirade. "Honey, don't even try to deny it. You're as transparent as scotch tape."

"That's not true! How can you think that?" The blonde retorted.

"Oh, by the way…you're a snotty little harlot for sleeping with Takuya every night in the forest." Cassidy concluded with a smug smirk on her face. "I don't know why you flaunt your scrawny body all over him like a stripper working a pole, because from what I could see…" She scanned her eyes quickly over Zoe's body, looking unimpressed. "You're not all that."

"You…" Zoe shot her finger inches in front of Cassidy's face. It was shaking angrily as she shouted. "You're unbelievable!"

"Cassidy!" Delia couldn't restrain herself from silence any longer. "Zoe was just trying to make amends with you!"

"Cue the tears, drama queen." Cassidy rolled her eyes.

And just as tears swelled up in Zoe's eyes, Zoe wiped her eyes angrily with her fist. No, tears are for the weak and useless. She will _not_ give Cassidy the satisfaction of seeing her cry. Zoe opened her mouth to argue back, but no words came out except a tiny, desperate squeak. And then, the blonde turned around and dashed into the forest.

"Did you think that was appropriate, Cassidy?" Delia scolded harshly.

"Yes. I can dish it and I could take it. Tell that bitch to bring it on!" Cassidy cackled.

_**Delia: **I'm abhorred by Cassidy's behaviour today. Poor Zoe was trying to make up with Cassidy after their little dispute a few days ago, but Cassidy mercilessly attacked her on a very personal level that was totally out of line! I just saw a very ugly side to my alliance and it made me very sceptical about the people I'm associating myself with. This isn't how graceful, virtuous people behave!_

She clicked her tongue disapprovingly.

_**Delia: **I don't belong here. I'm not part of this rotten sportsmanship and appalling behaviour. I think…I think I don't want to be in Cassidy's alliance any longer._

- - -

Survivor is a very challenging game, both on a physical level and a mental level. Some people come into this game, thinking that they were fully prepared for the worst that could happen. As long as they were athletic in challenges and they were swift in strategizing, these people thought they'd have no problem going far in the game. But nine days have passed and a harsh reality struck upon their simplistic thinking. Some of them didn't realize how _emotionally_ draining it was to play the social game.

Zoe Orimoto entered the game as a young, vivacious lady with a competitive spirit matched by no other. She was determined to conquer all the challenges, win against the men, and dodge against any obstacles thrown at her. She thought she had the willpower and endurance to go through this game for thirty nine days, no sweat and no problem. Her desire to win was strong and ferocious, like a bonfire that lit the way for her path to victory.

But the game could take a tow on even the strongest and most prepared player. Soon, this fire of hers was dying out. The light grew dimmer and the harsh reality became darker. Her flicker of light, her flicker of hope, her flicker of strength all seemed to have vanished into midair, somewhere beyond her reach. She no longer felt any emotions other than a miserable sense of dread and loneliness. She could try to pretend and ignore that Cassidy's personal attacks don't affect her, but it did.

It really hurts.

_**Zoe: **I tried to improve my relationship with the women on my tribe, because…I thought that was the right thing to do. I was foolish and naïve enough to believe that there was kindness inside everyone's hearts. All I had to do was be genuine with my emotions and dig really deep to see the positive traits that lie inside all of us._

Her voice sounded unusually bitter and cold as she gave this confessional. Zoe looked away from the cameras.

_**Zoe: **Well, today…I learned that I was wrong. Some people just don't have a heart._

Zoe didn't believe in crying over spilt milk. If these women didn't want to accept her kindness, then she wasn't going to waste her tears and time on them – those hollow, callous women. She didn't need their sympathy. And luckily, Zoe was a very flexible girl. When things were heading towards the wrong direction, she knew it was time to change her tactics.

Cassidy came, Cassidy saw, and Cassidy conquered. She stayed in her corrupt power for too long on the Gorebyss tribe. Her tribe members were too afraid to stand up against the intimidating dictator. At first, Zoe didn't want to stir the pot and make a huge commotion. She wanted to avoid unnecessary confrontations in order to play nice with everybody. But sometimes, passiveness just wouldn't do. It was time for Zoe to put a sudden thwart on Cassidy's tyranny.

And when she succeeded, Zoe knew it would be one of the sweetest accomplishments in the game.

"So far, we've three votes against Cassidy." Zoe whispered to Takuya. The pair of Frontiers was inside the secluded forest (again), cautiously discussing their plans before tribal council. "You, me and Rika."

"We need one more vote," said Takuya, stating the obvious.

"One more vote and we could take Cassidy down tonight." Zoe said with a smile, "She wouldn't see it coming at all."

"Awesome!" Takuya grinned. He put his hand casually on Zoe's shoulder. "So, whose vote are we going to pull in? Mimi? She's someone from the Digimon series. She could be loyal to us."

"No. Mimi and Cassidy are really close." Zoe shook her head. She was very observant about the dynamics of her tribe. "There's no way we'll be able to persuade Mimi to change her vote for us…" She paused and then added, "For _me._ In case you havne't noticed, Mimi hates me."

"She's just jealous of you." Takuya shrugged as if it was no big deal.

"We need to sway Casey's vote." Zoe said. She turned to Takuya for confirmation. "Do you think she'll understand?"

"I was thinking Delia instead. She's more naïve and easier to convince than Casey." Takuya scratched his head. "Casey is very stubborn and inflexible."

"Yeah, you're probably right." Zoe nodded. "We should go talk to Delia right now."

_**Zoe: **Survivor isn't a nice game and Gorebyss definitely isn't a nice tribe. Those girls can insult me, can mock me, and can basically make my life a miserable hell all they want. But I rest in comfort knowing that even though there are some really mean girls on our tribe, there's also a very nice guy to counterbalance all the negativity._

Takuya began to march out of the forest when he felt a tug on his shirt sleeve. Surprised, the goggle-boy turned around and saw Zoe's fragile hand pulling onto his blue shirt. The gorgeous blonde smiled sweetly at him – a smile that was so sweet, so pretty, so angelic…

"Oh Takuya, you're always by my side even through the hardest times…" Zoe whispered.

She tiptoed a few steps closer to him.

"Even when I'm down, you always find a way to cheer me up…"

Zoe leant forward, drawing her face closer to Takuya.

"Even when I thought I had nobody by my side, you always keep me company…"

Takuya could feel Zoe breathing on his blushing cheek. Her pink lips were so close, so attractive, so desirable…

"Even when I lose hope, you always bring the optimism back into my eyes…"

Zoe stopped talking. Her face was only inches away from Takuya's mouth. Their eyes met and their gazes locked with each other.

"Thank you for everything."

And then, Zoe pulled her face away from Takuya. She turned around, hiding a mischievous smile from Takuya.

"C'mon! Let's go see Delia!" Zoe giggled as she started to walk away.

"Uh…o-okay…" Takuya replied breathlessly. He felt as if his heart stopped beating for several seconds.

Takuya gazed lovingly at Zoe for a few seconds, with a lopsided grin forming on his face. As Zoe walked, her slender hips shifted from left to right at a rhythmic pace. Takuya was hypnotised by her magnificence and her perfection. Her radiant blonde locks, her emerald green eyes, her cutely petite nose, her cherry pink lips, her athletic legs, her confident strides, her seductive poise, her charming personality – she was so lovely, oh so lovely.

- - -

Evening crept upon Delia sooner than she had expected. The dark, murky sky indicated that it was almost time for tribal council. For the last several hours, Delia sat inside the shelter and pondered about her options. Earlier, Zoe and Takuya promised her a deal that seemed too good to be true. They wanted her to betray Cassidy to vote against her. One more vote was all it took. Write seven letters down and Cassidy would be voted off.

Delia sighed. If only it was as easy as that.

Right now, she had a moral dilemma. Should she vote for Cassidy? No, it wasn't a matter of _should_ or _should not_. It was more of a question if Delia _could_ have the guts to vote out Cassidy. After all, the Team Rocket leader was the person who saved her from being voted off last tribal council. Delia firmly believed that if it wasn't for Cassidy's say, she would've been the easy scapegoat disposed at the last vote. Cassidy is the reason why she was still here. How could Delia return the kind favour by voting out her saviour at the next tribal council?

But Delia had always been a righteous woman. She was a simple mother from Pallet Town. She had strong beliefs about what was right and wrong, and she didn't agree with the way Cassidy conducted herself in this game. Like a merciless tyrant, she was a heartless, ruthless and classless. She lost all respect for that woman after seeing how she treated poor Zoe. What the shrewd Team Rocket leader said and did was wrong and unacceptable. After seeing all of that, how could Delia associate herself with somebody like Cassidy?

To make matters worse, one person was there to give Delia a major guilt trip about her difficult decision.

"Hey Delia! How are you holding up?" Casey said cheerfully as she sat down beside Delia in the shelter uninvited.

"The usual…" Delia said ambiguously.

"That's good to hear." Casey nodded her head and smiled. "Okay, so plans have changed for tonight. We decided not to vote for Rika at tribal council. There's a bigger fish to fry."

"Oh really?" Delia asked.

"You know about Takuya and Zoe…" Cassidy said. She hooked her two index fingers together to indicate the pair of Frontiers. "Well, we think it's about time to…" Casey pulled her fingers away quickly. "…terminate their relationship."

"So, we're voting Zoe off now…" Delia mumbled.

"I'm not a huge fan of hers." Casey said, grinning. "It's time for Zoe to strike out and get off the field!"

Delia sighed softly, an action that she immediately regretted doing in front of the observant Casey. The baseball fanatic caught her careless display of emotions.

"Delia, you're okay with our decision, right?" Casey asked.

Delia sighed, clutching to her trembling knees weakly.

_**Casey: **Delia always acts wishy-washy before the vote…it's very shady to me. At every tribal council, I never know if her loyalty lies on our team or if she would double cross us to join the other side. Delia isn't the strongest person when it comes to willpower. She could easily be swayed and manipulated if Takuya or Zoe did a little sweet talking with her. She's starting to have second thoughts about the vote._

The blue-haired girl tilted her baseball cap. She wore a serious expression on her face.

_**Casey: **Sometimes, I'm scared about her indecisiveness. Delia needs to step up to the plate and tell us which team she's loyal to. If she isn't careful enough, her vulnerability might just cost her the game._

"Delia…you aren't thinking of switching your vote, are you?" Casey asked, raising her vote to a more aggressive tone.

"No." Delia finally replied. She shook her head. "I'm not."

"I hope I can trust you, Delia." Casey said, narrowing her eyes suspiciously. "Remember that we voted Suzie off in order to save you in last tribal council. The least you can do is to show us a little loyalty."

"But Casey…I don't really think Zoe deserves to be voted off." Delia quivered.

Casey looked shocked that such treacherous ideas could even exist in Delia's head, let alone coming out of Delia's mouth.

"Don't take it the wrong way!" Delia quickly retracted her daring statement. "But is it really right for us to vote Zoe off? She did nothing wrong!"

"She hangs out with Takuya too much. They're too dangerous together," argued Casey.

"May be, but the way Cassidy treats Zoe is horrible…" Delia bit her lips.

"Cassidy is blunt." Casey said stubbornly. "She's a little rough around the edges, so what?"

"Her honesty is brutal," said Delia.

"Sometimes, the truth hurts." Casey shrugged her shoulders.

"I guess so." Delia said, climbing out of the shelter. She stood up and searched for her bag. "We should start making our way to tribal council."

"Okay. But Delia, just remember that we've been loyal and faithful to you the entire time. We will never betray you." Casey said earnestly. "We took care of you when you were sick. We saved you from the vote when you were in danger."

She took a dramatic and lengthy pause.

"We're your real friends, Delia…"

_**Delia: **I'm so confused about what to do. On one hand, I don't want to vote Zoe off because I feel she was treated horribly by some of my tribe members. On the other hand, I should keep my loyalty to Cassidy because she helped me out a lot back when I was ill._

Delia sighed profoundly to the cameras.

_**Delia: **I still haven't made up my mind yet. But whatever decision I make, I hope it's the right one._

- - -

The Gorebyss tribe quietly marched into the tribal council set, lit their torches and took a seat on the wooden benches. Professor Birch stood in front of them, with his hands inside the pockets of his white laboratory coat. He silently observed the uncomfortable expressions and stiff postures of the tribe members. Behind him was the magnificent sculpture of the Dewford Dewgong, its hollow eyes glaring icily at the tribe of seven.

"I can cut the tension here with a knife!" Professor Birch joked, which brought several cynical smiles on a few people's faces. He turned to face Rika and asked, "Rika…what do you think about the status of Gorebyss?"

Rika Nonaka wore a sombre expression on her face tonight, a sight that most of Gorebyss had gotten used to seeing in the past few days. It was tribal council time and nothing has changed in this tribe. Cassidy was still in power and Rika was still the next targeted to go. Although Takuya and Zoe have promised to vote with her at this tribal council, Rika knew the numbers weren't in her favour. She didn't want to get her hopes up only to have it crushed again. Her pessimism was a defence mechanism that Rika adopted in order to protect her ego.

"We're weak." Rika said, "Gorebyss is weak-willed and weak-minded. There are some tribe members who aren't very productive to camp, but they're getting a free ride in this game because they're safe in the big alliance."

"Who're you talking about?" Professor Birch baited.

"Delia and Mimi are the laziest in this tribe. They are the two people who drag our tribe down the most." Rika answered immediately, while the two women shot dirty glances at her. "At least Delia has an excuse because she's sick, but Mimi is just useless when it comes to working."

"Excuse me! But I do cook all of the meals on this island!" Mimi angrily shouted.

"And that's all you do," said Rika with her arms folded.

"Cook food." Takuya clapped his hands together, smiling sarcastically. "Bravo, Mimi! Somebody should get this girl an award for such achievement and contribution!"

Mimi lowered her eyes on the floor, bitterly mumbling something under her breath.

"Takuya, I remembered you had some wonderful things to say about Mimi at the last tribal council." Professor Birch rubbed his bearded chin thoughtfully. "Why is there suddenly a drastic change in your attitude?"

"Professor, I guess I'm just pissed off because we're skirting around the _main_ issue in Gorebyss." Takuya said. "Cassidy is a bitch and none of us have any balls to confront her."

"Wow." Professor Birch looked slightly taken back. He turned over to the Team Rocket member for her response. "Takuya trashed you pretty badly there, what do you have to say?"

"Thanks for the compliment, kid," said Cassidy. She smiled thinly at the professor. "I didn't know he was so capable of using vocabulary that has more than one syllable in it."

"I'm surprised Cassidy would even know what a compliment is. I mean, after all, I never hear her give a compliment or encouragement out to anybody." Takuya retorted.

"Aww, is Takuya-poo crabby because he didn't receive his daily dose of compliments today?" Cassidy reached her arm out over to where Takuya was standing. "Here, have an imaginary lollipop and suck your whiny mouth on it."

Takuya and Cassidy locked their intense eyes at each other, forcing Professor Birch to change the subject at hand. He turned over to Delia, who has been keeping quiet throughout this uncomfortable situation.

"Delia…" Professor Birch smiled shyly. "What is your take on this tribe?"

"Professor, I think some of our behaviour is very immature." Delia said, her motherly instincts kicking in. "We're not children on a playground anymore. We need to cut back on the juvenile remarks and harmful insults. Nobody gains anything from them except even more ill feelings towards each other."

"I agree with Delia." Zoe slowly raised her hand in the air.

"Me too," echoed Casey.

"You sound like the voice of reason." Professor Birch nodded his head to her every word. Nobody else said anything. The professor finally realized that he wouldn't get many wordy answers tonight from the anxious group. "Okay, let's vote. Rika, you're up first."

Crossing the bridge to reach the voting booth, Rika wasted no time as she wrote down 'Cassidy' on the piece of parchment. Rika's handwriting was thin, sharp and jagged.

"You sealed my fate tonight and I've accepted the outcome that I'll most likely go home." Rika said as she held up her parchment in front of the cameras. "Let this vote be a warning. Sooner or later, one of your mindless minions will wake up and recognize the power-hungry bitch that you are…"

Rika remained expressionless as she dumped her vote into the urn.

"Just remember, karma is a _bitch_."

Zoe held her parchment up, revealing a second vote against Cassidy tonight. The blonde gave an impish wink to the cameras; her cheerful attitude was the result of knowing that Cassidy's horrifying reign as tribe tyrant would end once and for all. Cassidy had no idea that it was coming, no idea that she would be blindsided, no idea that she was about to be beaten at her own twisted mind games.

"Cassidy is finito!" Zoe whispered.

Takuya cast his vote next. He wrote down Cassidy's name on the parchment to nobody's surprise.

"Cassidy, you're arrogant and delusional – and that's the best compliment I could ever give to a wrinkly hag like you."

Fourth to arrive at the voting booth was Mimi. The tall brunette scrawled a self-made nickname 'Zo-MEE' on the piece of parchment. She smiled sweetly to the cameras when she held up her vote.

"Oh Zoe…the island really brought out the worst in you. Most of the time, you weren't any fun to be around with!" Mimi shrugged casually. "I don't appreciate how you're always trying to steal Cassidy's spotlight. It felt like you're competing against her just for the sake of being annoying."

Casey was the next to vote. The polite little girl smiled apologetically as she wrote down three letters on the parchment.

"I don't know what your relationship with Takuya is, but I sense a romantic connection between you two, which we need to break up. It was supposed to be Rika tonight, but you brought all of this upon yourself. You hardly talked to me at camp, so I don't feel bad doing this at all. Perhaps you shouldn't have spent so much time and energy flirting with Takuya when you could've…uh…try to know some of us a little better."

Predictably, Cassidy cast the third vote against her blonde rival that night. She smirked smugly as she held up her vote.

"No need to elaborate. All the words that I wanted to tell you I've said to your face. I hope you remembered to say goodbye to your scumbag of a boyfriend, sweetheart."

And then, it was Delia's turn.

She hesitated as she glanced down at her empty parchment, with two names racing back and forth in her head. Delia guessed correctly that she was the swing vote for this tribal council, but she didn't anticipate how difficult the decision would actually be. Either way, she was going to upset somebody with her vote tonight.

_Good or evil? _

_Right or wrong?_

_Zoe or Cassidy?_

Finally, Delia wrote a name down.

- - -

"Once the votes have been read, the person voted off will be asked to leave the tribal council area immediately." Professor Birch said.

He pulled out the first vote from the voting urn and turned it over.

"Cassidy."

The Team Rocket member remained unfazed, even as her name was called out by the professor. Her allies, Mimi and Casey, both looked concerned and flustered at the vote.

If their cult leader, Cassidy, was gone, what will her powerless followers _do_?

"The second vote…" Professor Birch said as he drew another parchment out of the urn. "Zoe."

"The third vote…" He continued. "Cassidy."

"The fourth vote…Zoe."

"The fifth vote…Cassidy."

"The sixth vote…Zoe."

Zoe sighed as she read the nickname 'Zo-MEE' scrawled on the sixth piece of parchment. Takuya frowned disapprovingly at what he thought was a malicious vote and then he reached over to grab on to Zoe's delicate hand. She smiled nervously at him.

"So far, that's three votes for Cassidy and three votes for Zoe." Professor Birch recapped. "And now, I'll read the final vote."

_Cassidy_.

A faint smile crept across Zoe's face. She wished _that _was the name that appeared on the parchment.

The blonde turned over to glance at the single mother from Pallet Town, hoping to find a reassuring answer from her expression. In order for Zoe to triumphantly take Cassidy out of the game, she needed a fourth vote, _Delia's_ vote. When Zoe made a desperate pitch to the weak-willed Delia, she wouldn't give a direct answer to anybody who asked. But surely, she must've made up her mind by now. Zoe had no idea what was going through Delia's head. Her eyes were cast down to the floor, with strands of her raven brown hair covering a pair of evasive eyes. Delia wasn't looking at anybody in particular. She wasn't even looking at Professor Birch as he drew out the final vote.

"The third person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…" Professor Birch began.

Zoe took a deep breath. Takuya's grip on her hand tightened.

The professor revealed the last vote.

"Zoe."

And just like that, the world came crashing down. Takuya and Zoe instantly looked at each other as soon as her name was announced. They both knew it was over.

Cassidy gloated in silent pride, grinning smugly as Zoe rose from her seat after the defeat of a long and difficult battle. When Zoe looked at Cassidy, all she could see was a pair of menacing fangs that drained every last bit of competitive spirit from her. After sighing softly under her breath, Zoe walked to the professor with her torch.

"Zoe, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch said, diminishing the strongly lit flame on the blonde's torch.

She lingered her gaze on Takuya for a final time. A few seconds later, she turned around and walked away, eventually fading in with the rest of the dark and dense forest.

"Did you get rid of the tension tonight or is it still roaming freely in your tribe?" Professor Birch asked. "We'll find out tomorrow morning…"

Delia buried her face into her hands, looking very distressed. Casey, who was sitting beside the single mother, patted her shoulder aphetically. There was a slight grin on her cheery face.

As the castaways got up to retrieve their torches, Takuya walked right into Delia, intentionally shoving his shoulder into her left arm. Delia could feel that all of his justified rage was directed at her. It was her vote that the pair of Frontiers depended on. And it was her who had let them down.

She stayed faithful to Cassidy and voted off Zoe Orimoto…

"I hope you sleep better at night knowing what you did to Zoe." Takuya muttered bitterly. "You're next."

But despite the rare sound of tranquil silence in the Gorebyss campsite, Delia couldn't sleep that night.

All she could hear was the echo of Takuya's ominous words.

- - -

_**Zoe's Final Words**_

That's it, huh? I was mentally fit and physically in shape, so I really thought I'd last longer than nine days on this island. But this game was a lot more challenging than I've anticipated. I learned that no matter how hard I tried to get along with everybody on my tribe, there'll always be a few people you don't mesh well with. That's what happens when strong personalities clash and collide.

Oh well, I'm very proud of the way I went out of this game. Despite all the harsh conditions and obstacles, I never once gave up. I might be a competitor and I might not like to use…but winning isn't everything. Sometimes, it's just as good to bow out and accept my loss like a gracious loser. 

- - -

_**Next Time on Survivor –**_

**Takuya takes a stab at revenge on his tribe members…**   
_Professor Birch:_ What are you doing, Takuya?   
(Takuya shrugs his shoulders casually.)   
_Takuya:_ Yeah, I don't care anymore. 

**An unexpected attack leaves one castaway badly injured…**   
(Takato gasps. May looks like she is wincing in pain.)   
_May:_ Oh my god!   
(She and Takato run towards somebody.)   
_May:_ You're bleeding! 

**And somebody leaves a personal message for Brock…**   
(TK runs his fingers over a few scratches on the motorboat.)   
_TK:_ Who did this?   
(He removes his fingers, revealing the words "BROCK SUCKS" on it.) 

**_All of this and more on – Episode 4: A Lonely Feast_**

**Author's Notes:** Once again, here's a huge thanks to everyone who reviewed and took my survey. Don't be shy to post a few comments by reviewing this story, because it strokes my ego and helps me see that I've support behind this project, haha! Anyway, the results for the past survey is posted on my website and don't forget to take the survey for this episode as well! 


	4. Episode 4: A Lonely Feast

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**  
**By: Gomamon**

_**Last Time on Survivor: **_

_In the Huntail tribe, Drew was threatened by the amount of power that Brock and May held over his tribe. At the same time, James felt underappreciated and developed ill feelings towards the Huntail leader, Brock. A desperate JP tried to use it to his advantage as he and TK campaigned against the Team Rocket member in order to stay in the game._

_Tensions ran high in the Gorebyss tribe when Cassidy and Zoe got into a heated confrontation. At night, Mimi and Casey overheard Zoe's plans to blindside her rival at tribal council. When Zoe tried to reconcile with Cassidy, the sassy Team Rocket member unleashed a venomous verbal attack at her. As obvious divisions appeared at camp, Delia found herself in a moral dilemma between her loyalty to Cassidy and her sympathy for Zoe. At the end, she was the swing vote that determined Zoe's ouster in the game. Thirteen remain, who will be voted off next?_

**Episode Four: A Lonely Feast**

**Gorebyss: **_CASEY - CASSIDY – DELIA – MIMI – RIKA – TAKUYA_

**Huntail: **_BROCK – DREW – JAMES – JP – MAY – TAKATO – TK_

- - -

**DAY 10**

If Cassidy was the powerful queen of Gorebyss, then Mimi must certainly be the princess in her tribe. In a way, Mimi's best strategic move in the game was leeching onto Cassidy's coattails and serving as the Team Rocket leader's most faithful ally. Whenever somebody pointed out that she was a liability in challenges and camp, Cassidy would always be the first to shoot down any plotting done against Mimi. Nobody who wants to get rid of Mimi could do so without crossing over to Cassidy's bad side. And nobody who wants to stay on the Gorebyss tribe would dare to rebel against Cassidy. Thus, this corrupted logic allowed Mimi to find a safe and secure position in her tribe.

She was the best friend. She was the loyal henchman. She was _untouchable_.

When Mimi first arrived on these islands, nobody had high expectations for a city slicker like her to do well in Survivor. Her friends joked that Mimi would last no more than three days in the wilderness before she bitched and cried her way back home. But it was the _tenth _day and Mimi survived through two tribal councils without a single vote struck by her name. Despite a lack of experience outdoors ("My only camping trip turned out to be a total digital disaster!" Mimi added), she was doing surprisingly well in this game.

_**Mimi: **Okay, I'm not really strong in challenges nor am I very capable around camp. On paper, girls like me don't go far in this game. So if I really want to stay long, I've very few options to impress them. It's not like I could just go out there and catch my tribe an enormous fish or something, you know? My best bet is to follow the person who has the most power in the tribe. By the second day, I know that Cassidy made all the decision in our tribe. I proved to Cassidy that I'm loyal and I'm her number one ally. We're like, soul sisters now!_

She twirled her brown hair around with her finger.

_**Mimi: **I simply adore Cassidy, but she's my shield in this game. While she gets the heat for how she's playing this game like a dictator, I'm getting off squeaky clean. All I need to do is keep riding on her bandwagon and make sure Cassidy piss off everybody! If we go to the finals together, I'll win for sure!_

Mimi knew about her limits and her capabilities. She'll never be a challenge powerhouse nor could she provide a lot to her camp. But if there was one skill that Mimi was proud of, it was her cooking. As the resident chef of Gorebyss, she cooked three delicious and nutritious meals for her tribe everyday. In the nine days they've spent on this island, Mimi cooked nearly twenty seven meals for Gorebyss! The misconception that Mimi was _lazy_ just because she doesn't hunt for food or collect firewood was simply ignorant. It angered Mimi so much when Takuya and Rika ragged about her work ethics at tribal council last night, how dare they?

It was time for her ungrateful tribe members to realize all of the hard work that Mimi does for her tribe!

This morning, Mimi woke up early and put the extra effort to prepare a breakfast so colossal that none of her tribe members will ever forget about it. She sat in front of the campfire, holding a pocket knife in her right hand and an apple in the other. A large pot of apples was placed beside her. She sliced the apple into six thin slices, and then, she took each of these slices and cut it into even smaller pieces.

While Mimi prepared the breakfast, she was also humming a soft melody under her breath. At first, the cameras couldn't identify the catchy tune. But when Mimi mumbled the words of the song out, it was clear that that she was singing a song suitable for the game she was singing, a song produced by Destiny's Child – "Survivor".

"I'm a survivor,  
I'm not gon' give up,  
I'm not gon' stop,  
I'm gon' work harder.  
I'm a survivor,  
I'm gonna make it,  
I will survive,  
Keep on surviving…"

An hour later, the tribe members of Gorebyss woke up to the heavenly scent of a well-prepared breakfast. Mimi waved excitedly at them, gesturing her tribe members to come out of their shelter. The slightly confused tribe of five all gathered around the gorgeous brunette and it was only then when they saw what Mimi has done. Laid out neatly on the sand were six wooden bowls with an accompanying spoon. Some of the tribe members gasped in delight at the sight of this delicious meal that Mimi has prepared for them.

"Good morning!" Mimi grinned enthusiastically.

"Wow, Mimi…is this cereal?" Casey asked.

"It's not just _any_ cereal." Mimi giggled. "It's apple cereal! We've no milk, so I squeezed the apples to make apple juice instead. And instead of cornflakes, I used small slices of apples and a bit of mush corn instead!"

"This is amazing! It smells great, it looks great and…" Delia inserted a spoonful of the cereal in her mouth. "And it tastes fantastic too, just like always!"

"I don't say this often, but I'm impressed." Cassidy nodded her head slowly, echoing Delia's sentiments.

"Aww…thanks for the compliments!" Mimi beamed. "I know most of us are fed up of eating the same old meals for breakfast, so I decided to spice it up a little. I'm glad you like it!"

"Oh, we _love_ it!" Delia chuckled.

Casey curiously peeked inside the black pot that used to contain a stack of ripe apples inside. But now, all that was left of those apples was a pile of apple cores. In one morning, Mimi used up all of the apples that the tribe collected in order to make a massive breakfast for her tribe. The apple slices, the apple juice, and the apple cereal. Casey glanced at her bowl of cereal and made a face.

_**Casey: **I cringed when I saw the pile of apple cores in the pot, because the amount of apples Mimi used to make one extravaganza breakfast could have provided us five regular meals. It took us so many hours to collect those apples from the trees and we don't have much corn in our supplies, so I think it was a waste to use this much food in just one meal._

She smiled awkwardly, the dimple on her right cheek very prominent to the cameras.

_**Casey: **But when all is said and done, I understand that Mimi put a lot of effort to give us a satisfying meal. She was only trying to help, and I shouldn't blame her for trying. And hey, on the bright side…we all ate a very delicious breakfast this morning! Thanks to Mimi, Gorebyss is energized and we're so ready to kick some Huntail butt! Yeah!_

Needless to say, all of the women enjoyed the breakfast thoroughly. Even Rika, who was normally so resentful and cynical, begrudgingly complimented Mimi about her excellent cooking skills. But before Mimi could gloat in her newfound glory, she noticed that Takuya wasn't eating his bowl of cereal. The shabby looking goggle-head just sat there with the rest of the women, slouching in his seat like a depressed hobo. He gazed mournfully into the fire as if it was a tombstone in some graveyard. While he didn't make any disturbing sounds, his mere presence alone was bothering the women from enjoying their breakfast.

"Okay, I'll take the bait. What's wrong with you?" Cassidy finally asked.

"I'm not hungry," muttered Takuya.

"But it tastes really good!" Mimi squealed. She pushed his bowl of cereal a little closer towards his feet. "You should try some, you'll _love_ it!"

Takuya only replied with a sharp grunt. He turned his back towards the rest of the women.

"Don't tell me you're still pissed off because that blonde girl isn't here anymore." Cassidy narrowed her eyes. "She's so yesterday news."

"Yeah, move on already!" Mimi added.

"Just shut up and eat!" Takuya snapped angrily. "Damn it, if I don't feel like eating the nasty cereal, then just let me be!"

That did the trick. Takuya's angry retort silenced the nosy women from prodding their noses into his business. They quietly returned to eating their breakfast, looking a bit stunned at what they thought was an inappropriate reaction. Mimi didn't understand what provoked Takuya to act so sour and grouchy ("He's pulling a Rika!" Mimi joked), especially since she was only trying to be nice!

_**Rika: **Takuya is a bit sulky, but I respect the guy enough to give him his personal space. I understand what he's going through after Zoe got voted off last night, just less than twenty four hours ago. But once again, the women just don't get it. They don't get that Takuya is grieving over the loss of a close friend that THEY voted off._

She closed her surly blue eyes.

_**Rika: **Bitches._

"He's grumpy because he has poor sportsmanship…" Casey mumbled just loud enough so that Mimi and Cassidy heard what she said. They giggled and nodded their heads in agreement.

"Shut up! I'm not stupid, I know you're talking about me," said Takuya angrily. He didn't hear what Casey said, but judging from the malicious tone of the giggles, he figured that it was something spiteful about him.

"So-rry! I didn't know that Takuya was promoted from resident dumbass to the dumbass that controls all the conversations that goes on in this tribe!" Cassidy sniggered. Takuya just glared at her.

In the midst of all the hateful exchanges, Rika looked like she was resisting a strong urge to laugh out loud. She loved this, she absolutely loved this. There was no love lost between the tribe members – no love existed between any of them in the first place.

Zoe might have left the island last night, but the thick aura of animosity was here to stay.

- - -

JP Shibiyama was a man of many talents, palmistry reading being one of the skills that he excelled in. Normally in real life, palmistry was something that most people didn't take seriously. But out of sheer boredom and the lack of entertainment, JP had a chance to share his talent with some of the more superstitious members of his tribe.

"JP! Tell me what my palm says!" May giggled girlishly, presenting her petite hand to the Frontier.

With a boyish grin on his face, JP moved his index finger slowly around her palm. His tiny eyes squinted as he tried to read the different lines on May's hand. Each line had a different meaning, a different interpretation, a different outcome to her fate. Of course, very few people had a desirable reading on their hands. Destiny burdened them with tangled webs of nuisance and knots of misfortune. But who wants to hear that about themselves? No, JP would rather make his own interpretations, telling people about the perfect lives and happy endings that they longed to hear.

_**JP: **Palmistry reading is like playing poker. If you don't have a good hand, learn how to bluff._

"Your love line is straight and long, with very few knots." JP said in a mysterious voice. "This means that you'll end up in a very happy marriage with a husband who loves you very much."

"Oh my god, really?" May smiled widely. JP nodded his head vigorously, trying to look as genuine as he could possibly be.

"Yeah, I could always picture you as the gold-digging trophy wife of a rich man." Drew laughed, while she shot him an irritated glare. He then added, "I'm only teasing you, stupid!"

"If you don't have anything nice to say…" May started, but her sentence was interrupted when James started speaking as well.

"Hey JP, can you read my palm as well?" James asked.

The chunky boy narrowed his eyes as he scanned over the Team Rocket member's delicate hand.

"Your hand…is so smooth and white. This isn't a working hand." JP commented. "You must've lived through a very prosperous childhood, am I right?"

"That's right, oh, you're sooooo good!" James squealed.

"Hmm. Unfortunately, your palm tells me another thing." JP sighed dramatically. "Your life line is very short and knotted, meaning that you'll face many dangers in your health, possibly even dying young." He paused, and then added. "You'll probably be poor for the rest of your life as well."

"No, no, no!" James made a face. "That's horrible! Jessie and Meowth won't be happy if they hear about this!"

"Sorry, but I'm just interpreting what the palm says." JP shrugged.

_**May: **Living on a stranded island could get really boring sometimes. We do the work and all, but there's not much else to do in our spare time. There're no games for us to play and there aren't anything else for entertainment. So that's why I love having JP in our tribe, he's bundles of fun! With his jokes and games, JP can keep us entertained for hours!_

A genuine smile eased onto May's face as she talked about the chunky Frontier boy.

_**May: **Today, JP was reading our palms and I thought it would be really funny if he used palmistry to predict what would happen in this game! But oh boy, that sure went downhill very quickly…_

"Hey JP! You know what you should do? You should read all of our palms and tell us who we should send to the reward challenge today." May suggested jokingly.

"Yeah, that's a great idea!" Takato laughed.

"It doesn't work that way, dude!" JP began, but he grinned. "Oh alright…what the hell. Show me your palms!"

As he read through the hands of each tribe member, JP nodded his head slowly, carrying the stance of someone who knows what they're doing. Finally, he stopped in front of TK and held onto his hand. JP looked up at the blonde with a small grin.

"Luck is on your side, TK." JP said this with a small chuckle, "You should go to the reward challenge for us!"

"Come on, JP…" TK looked slightly uncomfortable to be put on the spot like this.

"You can totally help us win the reward, TK!" May said in a cheery voice.

"If JP says that you should go to the challenge, then trust him!" James nodded his head excitedly.

"Hey now, let's not go too far with this paranormal crap," said Brock, frowning. "Let's be serious for a moment. The person who we choose to go to the reward challenge has to sit out at the immunity challenge, right?"

"Right…" Takato said, "Because we've one extra member over the other tribe."

"TK is one of our best athletes in our tribe, no doubts about it." Brock continued, putting a reassuring hand on TK's shoulder. "Do you think it's wise if we sat him out during the immunity challenge like this?"

"Oh Brock, it's not a big deal! We're just playing around…" May laughed.

"I think Takato should go to the reward challenge instead," said Brock. His squinty eyes leered at his tribe members disapprovingly. "He could sit out at the immunity challenge, and our chances of winning immunity will be higher."

"Brock does have a good point." Takato mumbled, but his voice sounded uncertain.

"We're a tribe. We've to make decisions together as a group," added Brock.

_**James: **Aieee! Am I the only one who's tired of listening to Brock and his sanctimonious spiels about how we're a tribe and how we've to be unified as one? He always has to ruin our fun just so he could show everyone that he's in charge! Just because he cooks us a few meals and boils several pots of water, Brock thinks he knows what's best for our tribe!_

The Team Rocket member was sitting on a boulder as he gave this confessional. He had both of his hands clasped on his cheeks.

_**James: **I feel like a misfit in Huntail…if only Jessie and Meowth were here with me, everything would be better._

"Well, it's a bit ridiculous for us to make a decision because my palm looks like the winning hand," said TK.

"Thanks for understanding, TK." Brock nodded, flashing a thumbs-up to the young blonde. "The idea was completely irrational, but I'm glad you saw through it."

"Yeah, Brock is right." May echoed.

"Brock is always right, isn't he? I'm dazzled by his brilliance!" James added, never missing an opportunity to suck up. Standing behind the Team Rocket member, Drew smirked.

"So, err…" May swiftly glanced around at her tribe members, but nobody was returning her gaze. She flashed a nervous grin at JP. "Hey, why don't you look at my palm again? Tell me if I'll win any more Pokemon Contests or not!"

A hesitant JP took a fleeting glimpse at Brock. The Pokemon Breeder carried a stern expression on his tanned face, clearly not pleased with this silly game of palmistry. It was clear that Brock didn't want JP to continue any longer into this mindless superstition. And it was in JP's best interest if everybody just gave Brock the space and time to chill out. After all, the Huntail leader was the person who could provide him with the lifeline that he desperately needed to stay in the game.

"Nah, May. Not now." JP sighed, "I think fun time is over."

- - -

When Professor Birch saw who the tribes sent as representatives to participate in the reward challenge, he couldn't help but smile. Takato grinned too, after he realized that his opponent would be someone from the Digimon Frontier series: Takuya Kanbara. This challenge was going to be a battle between the two goggle-heads.

"It's Takato versus Takuya!" Professor Birch laughed, greeting the two boys with a courteous handshake.

"Game on." Takato smiled weakly.

A dining table was placed in the middle of the challenge beach. Covered by a classy white tablecloth, there were two empty plates at opposite ends of the tables. Professor Birch gestured the two boys to sit on one of the two white dining chairs. As Takato sat down, he stared at his plate with a confused expression on his face.

"You boys must be starving out here on the island, aren't you?" Professor Birch asked.

"We're barely surviving," replied Takuya.

"You aren't going to give us food, are you?" Takato asked hopefully.

"Ah!" Professor Birch's eyes twinkled with mischief. "It depends on what your definition of food is…"

He walked around the dining table in a circle, dropping three red pokeballs onto each plate.

"Inside these pokeballs are three different insects. None of them are alive." Professor Birch explained. "Your objective is to open up these pokeballs and devour the Pokemon inside as quickly as possible. You must swallow the whole bug before you can move on to your next item. If you throw up, you'll be given a minute penalty before re-eating the same Pokemon again." Takato already looked queasy in his seat, listening to the instructions. "The first person to finish without throwing up will win the reward challenge for their tribe!" Professor Birch chuckled. "Want to know what you're playing for?"

"Not really…" Takato muttered. He was completely grossed out by the idea of eating insects – no, _dead_ insects. But Takato wasn't sure if he should be thankful that the insects are living or not.

"If you win the reward challenge today, your tribe will enjoy a fantastic feast – guarantee to fill your empty stomachs to the max!" Professor Birch said enthusiastically. "Starting from today and for the next three days, a delivery person will arrive at your camp to bring you three boxes of pizza and a dozen soft drinks!"

Takato grinned, finally looking like his regular cheerful self since Zoe Orimoto got voted off. Takato also tried to smile when he heard the announcement, but he couldn't muster enough strength to feel even remotely excited about this gross-food eating challenge. He was still too horrified and disgusted at the prospect of eating the dead insects.

"If there aren't any questions, then let's begin this wonderful feast!" Professor Birch raised his hand. "When I give you the signal, you'll pop open the first pokeball and eat whatever is in it. You must put it in your mouth and swallow everything before you can move on to the second pokeball." The two boys nodded. "Survivors ready, begin!"

Takuya and Takato both opened their pokeballs at roughly the same time (although Takuya had a bit of difficulty actually _opening_ his pokeball, he quickly figured it out). The limp body of a lifeless Caterpie dropped on the plate. A bit of red blood is smeared across the caterpillar's hollow black eyes.

"Piece of cake." Takuya said, dropping the green caterpillar in his mouth. He chewed it for a while, making a few disgusted faces along the way. Within ten seconds, he swallowed the entire bug and was ready to move on to the next item.

Takato didn't share his enthusiasm with this challenge. He stared at the Caterpie's dead body tentatively, looking as if he didn't even want to touch the insect with his fingers. But Takato knew that the last thing he wanted to do was to let his tribe down _again_, so despite all his fears and other emotions rushing through his head, he courageously took a tiny nibble of Caterpie's head.

A few seconds later, he threw up on the ground.

"Takato, you look almost as green as a Caterpie!" Professor Birch chuckled nervously, dropping a Pokeball onto his plate. Takato wiped the vomit from his mouth, looking partly disgusted with the Caterpie and partly disgusted with himself. He now had to wait one minute before he could eat another caterpillar again. He didn't look forward to it.

Meanwhile, Takuya was eating his second Pokeball with ease. It was Paras, the mushroom bug Pokemon. Normally with two healthy and nutritious mushrooms on this creature's back, they looked green and mouldy on this aged Paras. Regardless of the repulsive appearance, Takuya just shrugged it off. Chomp, chomp, chomp. And the insect was down his throat, making its way to the stomach.

"Impressive! Takuya is going through this challenge like it's a breeze!" Professor Birch widened his eyes in bewilderment. He flashed an unsure smile at Takato. "I hate to say this, but it doesn't look like a close race at all."

The third item on Takuya's menu was a Beautifly, except that the wings were detached from its body. He put it in his mouth, chewed through the wingless butterfly and swallowed it. After finishing everything on his plate, he burped.

"Just like that, we have a winner!" Professor Birch announced. "Gorebyss wins the reward challenge!"

Takato sighed, looking devastated at what an upset loss this challenge has been. While he was waiting for the penalty to pass by so he could eat another Caterpie, Takuya ate all three bugs and was finished with this challenge as if it had been nothing.

"I'm sorry, Takato…" Professor Birch began, but Takato was already dejectedly making his way back to his camp. "Congratulations, Takuya! You know what you've won, right?"

Takuya nodded, with a faint smile on his boyish face.

"For the next few days, someone will come over to deliver pizza and pop to the Gorebyss camp." Professor Birch grinned. "Starting with today, you can bring this back to your camp and have an appetizing feast!" He kneeled down on the ground, reaching his arm under the table. The professor pulled out three cardboard boxes and a carton of soft drinks. "Your tribe members will be pleased for sure."

Professor Birch stacked the boxes of pizza on top of one another, handing this gigantic pile of food over to Takuya. And then, the professor waved a farewell to the goggle-head, happily sending him to the path leading back to the Gorebyss camp. But to his amazement, Takuya didn't move in the direction that he had anticipated. Instead, Takuya walked back to where Professor Birch was standing, putting all of the pizza on the dining table used in the challenge. He walked over to a white dining chair and sat down.

He opened up one of the cardboard boxes and grabbed a fresh slice of pepperoni pizza. And then, he began to eat.

It was just Takuya, sitting around the dining table, enjoying a lonely feast.

- - -

At first, Professor Birch was at a loss for words. He didn't understand what Takuya was doing here. Didn't he state very clearly in the rules that the winner could share the reward with his entire tribe? If so, then why was Takuya sitting at the table? Why was that boy eating all the pizza by himself?

"What are you doing, Takuya? You do know that you won this challenge for your _entire_ tribe, right?" Professor Birch asked.

Takato took a huge bite out of his pizza slice, closing his eyes as he enjoyed the sensation of warm cheese slowly melting in his mouth. Food has never tasted so good before. And since Takuya didn't eat breakfast this morning, he felt extremely famished right now.

"Professor, I choose to _not_ share my reward with anybody from Gorebyss," replied Takuya. "They don't deserve it."

"Are you serious?" Professor Birch asked. He paused and then sighed. "You are serious about this..."

"Yeah, I don't care anymore." Takuya said, taking another gnaw out of the pizza slice. "I couldn't care less if they starve while I ate like a king."

Professor Birch felt a bemused smile easing in on his face. He sat down on a dining chair at the opposite end of the table, watching Takuya consume the pizza slices with a combination of awe and fascination.

"Wow." That was all he could say about this bizarre situation.

_**Takuya: **No, I feel zero remorse that I'm not sharing my reward with the rest of Gorebyss. In fact, I'm thrilled that they're probably eating mush corn and rice, while I chow down on some mouth-watering pizza. The more miserable I know they are, the happier I'll feel. That's what they get for voting Zoe off last night. Karma came back and bit all of the women in their big, fat asses!_

"Tell me why you're doing this, Takuya. Please tell me you've a good reason to be this…selfish," said Professor Birch.

"Ever since they voted Zoe off, these women have made it very clear to me that I'm not welcomed on Gorebyss. And if I'm going to be voted off anyway, why bother sucking up to them?" Takuya spitted each of his words out with bitterness.

"So, you're giving up?" The professor asked.

"No, I'll _never_ give up." Takuya replied instantly. He shook his head as if that had been a ridiculous question to ask.

"Then what…" Professor Birch paused, struggling to find the appropriate words to describe this unusual incident. "Then please explain to me what you are doing with the food, Takuya!"

"This is all about revenge, baby!" Takuya laughed. He opened a soda can and took a large gulp of the pop. "What the women don't know won't hurt them."

He chuckled, taking another sip of the soda.

"Man, I've been way too passive with my strategy. If only I was more assertive, I could've stopped Cassidy's reign earlier, and then, Zoe would still be here." Takuya said. "But now, I think I need to play a dirtier game."

"I'm not here to judge," said Professor Birch.

"Thanks." Takuya grinned. "By the way, how is the delivery boy going to bring the pizza tomorrow?"

"Somebody will put three boxes of pizza and the soft drinks in your treemail box in the morning," replied the professor.

"Awesome. I'm usually the first person to wake up in my tribe anyway, so they'll never notice if I took the pizza out of the mailbox," said Takuya.

Professor Birch stared at the pizza boxes with a weak smile. He doesn't know if he should be surprised, upset or angry about what Takuya has done to Gorebyss. If he hid this secret carefully, they'd never find out that Takuya won this reward challenge. They'd never discover that Takuya will be eating all of this food by himself…

"Are you going to eat all three boxes of pizza before you head back to camp?" Professor Birch asked.

"I've all the time in the world," said Takuya, shrugging. "If the nosy women ask any questions, I'll just explain that this was a _really_ long challenge."

"You're not going to tell them about this?"

"I'm not going to tell them, I'm not going to share with them, I'm not going to care about them." Takuya said, as he grabbed another slice of pizza from the box. He removed one piece of pepperoni and tossed it into his mouth. "I'm done with Gorebyss. None of my tribe members mean anything to me…well, except for Rika. She's a cool chick."

Takuya rubbed his chin, still wearing a mischievous grin on his boyish face.

"You know what, may be I should save her a slice of pizza or something…"

_**Rika: **Goggle-head came back from the reward challenge and told us that he lost against Takato in the gross food challenge. I expected the worst. Gorebyss is on a major losing streak because weaklings like Delia and Mimi are still on our tribe. We won't win any more challenges until we vote them off, I told them so._

She was sitting under an apple tree, holding the red fruit in her hand. Rika tossed it up in the air and caught the apple swiftly with her left hand.

_**Rika: **Anyway, Takuya and I went into the forest to hunt for food tonight. But I can tell that he had something weird up his sleeves. It…it was a nice surprise._

"Ta-da!" Takuya grinned as he pulled out a pizza box from the bushes. There were two soda pops on top of the box. "You should congratulate me on winning the reward challenge today. I totally kicked Takato's scrawny ass!"

Rika raised an eyebrow as she peeked inside the pizza box. There it was in front of her, like a heavenly oasis in the middle of a barren desert – a whole pepperoni pizza in its entirety.

"You won this?" She asked uncertainly.

"Sure did!" Takuya chuckled. "But don't tell the other women about this! I don't want any of them to eat the pizza. They don't deserve it."

"I won't tell them." Rika nodded. A sly smile crept across her face. "I should've known something happened. You were in such good spirits when you returned from the challenge today."

"Aw shucks, I'll take that as a thank-you!" Takuya laughed.

Rika grabbed a can of soda and opened it. It tasted like paradise.

"Takuya, you big dork…" She muttered with a faint smile on her face.

"But I'm a _smart _dork! As long as we wake up early to hide the pizza in these bushes, we could have all of this food and drinks for ourselves. We don't have to eat Mimi's shitty meal of the day." Takuya snapped his fingers. "Isn't this awesome?"

"Dork." Rika repeated, playfully nudging Takuya on his elbow.

"C'mon, Rika…we've to start hunting some birds to feed the rest of our tribe or they'll get suspicious." Takuya grinned at his female companion. "I must say, I do get a kick when I think about how we're eating delicious pizza while they're eating overcooked poultry!"

"You love the irony of this, don't you?" Rika asked.

"I don't just love it. I _embrace_ it!" Takuya grinned back.

_**Takuya: **Rika is one seriously awesome girl. If life is a bitch to her, she only gets bitchier. And you know me… I always have a soft spot for feisty rebels. When the two of us first met each other, there's this natural chemistry that allowed us to click. We quickly became hunting buddies and now, she's the only girl on Gorebyss who I actually like! The rest of them all suck except Rika, heh._

Takuya grinned enthusiastically to the cameras, raising his fist triumphantly in the air.

_**Takuya: **We're outcasts. We both know that we're two sitting ducks in this tribe, waiting to be pecked off by the mother hen Cassidy. But for better or for worse, Rika and I are in this together._

- - -

**DAY 11**

This morning, TK was taking a relaxing jog around the island, just like always. By the eleventh day, the athletic blonde became so familiar with his surroundings that he knew almost every aspect of the landscape. He knew about the secluded nest located in a tall, brooding tree, where the Spearows would leer menacingly at him until he jogged away. He knew about the open grass field that the carefree Hoppips bounced merrily in, collecting flower pollens that blew in the breeze. He even knew about the tiny tunnel that the Digletts resided in, and how they would occasionally pop out to collect food. Just like always.

Nobody understood his fascination with the beautiful island scenery of Dewford. JP even joked that TK was developing an unhealthy obsession for this place. But if only they could see some of the wildlife that TK experienced every morning, his tribe members would truly appreciate every second of living on this island. They'd be amazed. They'd be entranced. They'd be as in love with it as TK was.

"Earlier in the morning, I saw a Teddiursa in the forest." TK grinned as he described about the petite brown bear to the cameras. "It was too shy to come out though, but it's really cute."

His jog usually ended when he saw the sight of the Huntail motorboat. The white water vehicle was parked by the shoreline, tied tightly to a tree with some rope. This boat was the reward that Drew won for Huntail a couple of challenges ago. From a distance, the boat still looked like it was in mint condition, even though the men have been sailing to sea with that boat almost every day. They were fishing for seafood, with very little success. TK occasionally joined them in their fishing trips, although he was never a huge fan of the water.

Today, TK passed by the same boat just like he does everyday. But something caught his glance. The curious blonde jogged a few steps backwards, approaching towards the motorboat. That was when he saw that there were scratches on the side of the boat. TK kneeled down on the ground as he leant forward for a closer inspection. He discovered that the scratches were actually faint and jagged handwriting. From the way it was written, the scratches looked as if they were made by a sharp rock.

"Who did this?" TK muttered, running his fingers over the handwriting on the boat.

When he finally removed his fingers over the scratches, the cameras panned closer to the message scrawled on the boat. It read: "BROCK SUCKS".

_**TK: **This morning, I found a very unpleasant message scratched on the side of our boat. I don't know who the scumbag was, but the marks were only there this morning. Anyway, it was supposed to be a dig at Brock…and uh, I don't think he's going to be very happy when he reads it._

TK nervously bit his lips.

_**TK: **Whoever did this better have a darn good reason. Because personally, I thought it was a very low and tacky way of expressing their distaste for someone. Even though the tasteless message wasn't directed at me, I'm still completely and utterly insulted by it._

Within minutes, the whole tribe found out about the message on the motorboat. TK woke everybody up in the shelter and as an entire tribe, they all went to see the "personal message" (as described by TK) that was on the boat.

"Who could do such a thing?" May cried in horror when she first saw the scratches.

Takato just gasped. He was too speechless for words.

"This is low, dude. This is _really_ low." JP shook his head disapprovingly.

"Oh my god…I hope this isn't a prank, because it isn't funny at all!" May shot a glare at James' direction.

"May, calm down." Brock said in a soothing voice, placing his left hand on her shoulder reassuringly. "It's not a big deal. It was just a stupid message left by a coward." He turned to look at the rest of his tribe members. "If anybody has a problem with me, say it to my face."

"When did you find this?" Takato timidly asked.

"Just a few minutes ago…I'm pretty sure that this wasn't here yesterday, right?" TK said.

"No way." Drew confirmed, "We went fishing on the boat yesterday and we would've definitely spotted it if it was there."

"But who would write _'Brock sucks'_ on the boat?" JP asked.

"Obviously someone who has a problem with me," answered Brock, looking unruffled by the turn of events. He scanned his squinty eyes across the faces of his tribe members. "A person who's just seeking for drama…" He paused as he stared directly into James' enigmatic green eyes. "A person who's trying to stir up _trouble_…"

James gulped.

"I never!" James shouted, his eyelids fluttering rapidly. "I swear it wasn't me! I…I knew nothing about this note until now!"

"Are you sure about that, James?" May yelled. "This mean-spirited message sounds like something that comes right from your alley!"

"Cross my heart and hope to die, stick a needle in my eye!" James raised both of his hands in the air.

Brock sighed softly, but managed to force a weak smile on his face.

"I don't care who did it, except that this person is a huge attention hog. It's quite sad, really." He said, shaking his head as if he felt pity. "Anyway, I just want to let the attention hog know that his plan isn't working. This doesn't bother me one bit." He laughed. "Nope, my mojo isn't affected by stupid meaningless insults at all!"

Takato exchanged an uneasy glance with May. Nobody else said anything.

_**Takato: **I know Brock said he doesn't mind about that stupid message on the boat, but I think it's bothering him a little bit. Ever since he read that message, he's been acting a bit different. He's more paranoid and thinks people are going to vote him off…_

He frowned at the cameras.

_**Takato: **This really sucks. Brock is really the nicest, the smartest and the coolest person on our tribe. He makes this island feel like home. I…I just don't understand why anybody would feel the need to hurt him like that. Whoever scratched that message on the boat must be a BIG loser._

As the morning commotion died down, the Huntail tribe eventually dispersed and separated in different packs. TK and JP went into the forest to collect firewood, while Drew and James sailed at sea to catch fish. Although Brock would normally choose to join one of the groups in the vigorous activities, he decided to stay with May and Takato as they sat in front of the fire, watching a pot of water boil over the fire.

"There's four of them and only three of us…" Brock said quietly. He scratched his chin. "You don't think they're plotting against us, do you?"

"I hope not," said Takato.

"I think that message was a sign for things to come. It's a warning." Brock muttered, "They want me gone."

"Oh, don't be ridiculous!" May said, pounding Brock's shoulder lightly.

"You're the hardest working member of our tribe and you know so much about roughing it in the island," added Takato. "I think it would be stupid for them to get rid of you. You _deserve_ to stay." He sheepishly smiled. "If they should target anyone for being stupid and useless, it's probably me."

"But they don't care if I _deserve_ to stay or not. It has nothing to do with this game." Brock shook his head and sighed.

"Come on! Snap out of it, both of you!" May sighed as well. "I'm getting sad just hearing you guys talk."

"Do you guys think it's JP who wrote the message?" Takato asked, lowering his already soft voice into a soft whisper. "I noticed that he's trying really hard to stay in this game lately. He could do _anything_."

"No, I can't picture JP doing it. He's too nice for something like this, even though appearances could be deceiving." May sucked her lips together to make a plucking sound. "Drew, on the other hand…"

"Drew is such a quiet guy, you'd almost forget that he's even here," said Brock. "Yeah, he makes a few snide comments here and there, but I think he's just trying to blend in with the background."

"It's working," added Takato.

"I think that jerk is capable of doing anything. You can just see it in his eyes, there's something sinister about the way he looks at you. He's almost like sizing us up as competition." May said, wrinkling her nose a bit. She narrowed her eyes as she gazed angrily into the fire. "I don't trust him one bit."

"Who do you think it is, Brock?" Takato asked.

"If I've to take a hunch, all signs point to the no-good doer James," speculated Brock. "You can't teach an old dog new tricks. He comes from Team Rocket. He's somebody who would scoop down to this level and make a cowardly remark like that."

"I agree." May nodded her head, "He has issues with you in the past, Brock. I don't think it's been resolved."

"When he's getting water from the river, James is always by himself. How tempting must it be for him to just sneak out to the boat and commit the crime when nobody is watching him?" Brock added.

"But James said he didn't do it," said Takato.

"You'd be amazed, Takato." Brock chuckled cynically. "People lie all the time….especially Team Rocket."

_**Brock: **You can't please everyone, I guess. Even though I work hard and provide comfort for my tribe, there are still some people not satisfied with the way I play this game. I took a tribe that was in shambles and led them through a chain of victories. Not to toot my own horn or anything, but I think that's pretty damn impressive!_

The tanned Pokemon Breeder shrugged. He smiled confidently at the cameras.

_**Brock: **So Brock sucks, huh? Oh well, what can I do? I can't spend my whole life worrying about what others thought of me. I'd go crazy trying to live up to their expectations. Whenever a cute girl rejects me, I don't go into sulking mode and wonder why they don't return my affection. It's the exact same thing with this game. My competitors try to trip me, causing me to tumble and fall down. I get up. I move on._

- - -

Casey always loved a good challenge. The baseball fanatic wanted to constantly exceed her own limits, forcing herself to be better than the next person. In real life, baseball was the most suitable sport for her competitive personality. It required teamwork, cooperation, competitiveness and dexterity – all aspects that she found immensely thrilling. And in the game of Survivor, Casey sought for the same adventurous excitement every day in the immunity challenges. Only when Casey saw the sight of the golden Pokeball did she really feel the pressure to _win_. But no matter what the challenge was about, Casey was prepared to put up a good fight against her competitors.

Today, Delia was going to accompany Casey to retrieve the treemail for their next challenge, but Takuya already informed the entire tribe that he checked the mailbox earlier, and there were no challenges to compete in today. Slightly disappointed, Casey returned to sit inside the shelter with Delia. She wasn't able to work without a full stomach to start her day, but Mimi and Cassidy were still preparing the breakfast for this morning.

"I guess we're going to have the immunity challenge tomorrow, huh?" Casey asked with a small grin on her face.

"We definitely need to start winning some challenges though. Our team morale really needs the boost," said Delia. "If we lose another challenge…I don't know what I'll do." She smiled weakly. "I might throw up in disgust."

"Don't worry, Delia. This challenge is going to be different." Casey grinned enthusiastically. "The Electabuzz team never gives up even if they finish in last place all the time, so why should we?"

"The Electabuzz? That's a baseball team, right? Ash always preferred The Magikarp team or The Starmie team." Delia said, putting a finger on her chin. "I think he has a poster of one of the mascots in his room."

"No! The Starmie is a bunch of cheats! They suck!" Casey waved her hand angrily in the air.

"They won the series last year, didn't they?" Delia asked, appearing confused. "Sorry, I'm not too much of a fan in these…sports events."

_**Casey: **I'll admit, I am the HUGEST Electabuzz fan to ever play Survivor! They might not always win, but they've determination. They never give up. So, what's not to love?_

"Delia, if you say that you don't support The Electabuzz, I'm not going to be your friend anymore!" Casey laughed teasingly. "There are some awesome hitters on that team. The Electabuzz is simply the best!" She paused and then an excited grin appeared on her boyish face. "Want to hear the victory song?"

Before Delia could politely refuse, Casey has already broken into a loud song.

"Let's all cheer for Electabuzz, greatest team of all! The players charge the field and double-team the ball!" Casey grinned, pumping her fist energetically in the air. "They're the crew with Mega-Punch when they are in a crunch! Metronome! Safe at home! Hyperbeam too!" As she sang, Mimi turned her head around at Casey with a strange expression on her face. "Win! Win! Through... thick or thin! Electabuzz, it's you!"

After Casey finished with her song, Delia could say nothing but just laugh out loud. She gentled patted the petite girl on her shoulder, as if she was congratulating her. Sitting by the campfire, Mimi was also grinning and cheering loudly. She yelled at Casey for an encore. However, this was quickly stopped by an authoritative Cassidy, who frankly looked a little embarrassed with this whole incident.

Yes, this was the eccentric blue-haired girl who Gorebyss has grown to love. She was unhealthily obsessed with baseball and the Electabuzz team. She also burst into spontaneous songs in the most random moments, no matter how silly or crazy she might appear to be. But despite her shortcomings, Casey was liked by almost everybody in her tribe. Here was a girl who just oozed with team spirit and zest. Here was a girl who had more enthusiasm than everyone in the tribe combined. Here was a girl who understood the importance of teamwork and cooperation when playing Survivor. Here was a girl who will never give up.

Slowly but surely, Delia saw an uncanny resemblance in the energetic face of Casey that reminded the housewife so much of her son, Ash Ketchum. They were so alike in many ways, from their eager competitiveness to their unmatched stubborn personality.

And she smiled – the same affectionate smile that a mother would give to her compliant child.

Casey was a good girl.

_**Delia: **Since I've fallen ill for the past few days, Casey tended to my every need and care. I'm very impressed by her maturity and sense of responsibility, especially at such a young age. Whenever I compare Casey to somebody like Drew, I notice that there's a gigantic contrast between the two children. He's young, arrogant and has a lot of growing up to do. On the other hand, she has a great attitude and fantastic team spirit. Casey is an excellent role model in life!_

She smiled weakly, brushing a few strands of hair off her pale face.

_**Delia: **If her parents are watching this right now, I want to compliment them on what a wonderful job they did to raise this beautiful girl. They must be proud._

As Delia and Casey continued their conversation inside the shelter, two other women were doing a little gossiping about them by the campfire as they prepared for breakfast.

"Merciful heavens…" Cassidy whispered under her breath. "That girl is a total nut!"

"Really? I _adore_ her! I think she has spunk." Mimi giggled softly, slicing an apple into half with her knife. "But I only wished she didn't hang around Delia so much." The brunette sighed softly. "She's going to have her heart broken if she spends so much time with that woman."

"Speaking of Mrs. Delia Ketchum, did I mention that I'm getting really fed up with her?" Cassidy grumbled angrily. "She tested my patience way too many times for her own good."

"I know, Cass! At first, I felt so sorry for her because she's sick and like, throwing up everywhere in our camp. Even then, it was totally gross and uncalled for!" Mimi said.

"But a week has passed already, and don't tell me that she still hasn't recovered from that stupid illness of hers!" Cassidy snapped. "Does Delia think I was born yesterday? I'm no dummy!"

"And she makes it seem like she is _dying_ out here!" Mimi whispered dramatically.

"I think Delia is a great actress, because that's what she is doing right now…fooling all of us with that motherly role she's playing up." Cassidy rolled her eyes. "She isn't really sick at all. She just needs an excuse to not work and lie inside the shelter all day."

Mimi took a brief glance at Delia, who was laughing at some joke that Casey just told.

"You're probably right, Cass. I don't really trust her," muttered Mimi. "Delia hardly does any work for our tribe. The only work she does is when she washes the dishes and our clothes by the river."

"I don't even think she does that much work." Cassidy rolled her eyes. "She always tags Casey to come with her by the river. Casey probably does all the washing, while Delia lies down on her lazy ass and pretends to be sick."

_**Cassidy: **Delia is one of the laziest people I've ever met in my life. She has been ill for eleven days now, and all she contributed to Gorebyss is a puddle of vomit by that tree. We're all working, but she just lies on her back, resting comfortably in the shelter. Let's face it, she isn't really sick!_

She sneered angrily at the cameras.

_**Cassidy: **The only thing sicker than Delia is her lack of work ethics._

"Oh my god, I've seen earthworms less slothful than her!" Mimi gasped.

"Not to mention, Delia really drags us down in the physical challenges," added Cassidy.

"Cass…" Mimi turned as she looked at her ginger-haired comrade. She twirled her brown hair around her index finger as she said this. "Why are we keeping her in this tribe?"

Mimi couldn't see it yet, but the gears were already turning inside Cassidy's head.

- - -

After breakfast, the Gorebyss tribe disassembled to do whatever work that needed to be done for the day. Takuya and Rika hiked deep into the core of the forest, ready to begin another hunting expedition to bring food back to camp. Strapped to Takuya's back were several arrows, a wooden bow and their crimson red buffs in case things got too messy. They usually killed two or three birds per day – four, if they were lucky. But unfortunately, none of their catches were massive in size of meat, which meant that their meals were hardly fulfilling to their stomachs. It was still better than eating just corn or apples, but plenty of improvements could be made on their current food situation.

Luckily for Takuya and Rika, they didn't need to worry about the food shortage like the rest of the tribe; or at least not for the next several days anyway.

Takuya had a secret – one that only he and his good buddy Rika knew anything about. Hidden somewhere in a bush inside this forest, there was a stash containing pepperoni pizza and soft drinks. Takuya brought a box of pizza with them, along with all of the hunting equipment that he carried. They dared not show any of the women about their secret collection of food. If any of them found out that they were selfishly hiding food while they starved, well, it was hard to imagine how furious their reactions would be.

_**Takuya: **Knowing that we might get caught only adds to the thrill. Sometimes, I actually want to take a bite of the pizza right in front of their faces, just to see how pissed off they will be. I know what you're thinking...I must be a sadist or some lunatic wackjob. But hey, they totally deserve it!_

"I've been thinking…" Takuya said, taking a huge bite out of the pizza slice that he was holding.

"You should do that more often." Rika said dryly.

"Damn it. I set myself up for that one." Takuya chuckled. "Anyway, I feel that we should find other techniques to catch food to feed those women at camp." He glanced over at Rika for her opinion. "You know, besides hunting in the forest everyday…"

"Why?" Rika asked, chewing through a piece of pepperoni in her mouth.

"We aren't making a lot of progress here. Hunting is a bit ineffective when you aren't really catching anything big." Takuya explained. "Look, there are so many other methods to catch food on this island." He narrowed his eyes at his companion. "Okay, don't give me that look as if I just said something stupid."

"If you don't like my expression, look away," suggested Rika.

"I'm really serious about this, Rika! We could be doing something else instead of mindlessly killing birds in the forest every day. We could go fishing, for example." Takuya proposed.

"I don't think so, goggle-head." Rika said. "Do you want to sit on your ass all day and hope that some idiotic fish will take the bait at the end of a stick?"

"Sit on my ass and pretend to work? Man, that doesn't sound too different from what Cassidy and Mimi does everyday!" Takuya tried to keep a serious face, but he was snickering in the middle of his sentence.

"Don't get me started on those shrieking harpies," muttered Rika. "You know how I feel about them."

"Oh, I know! I think every tree in this forest has heard you bitch about those women." Takuya laughed sardonically. "I certainly have!"

"Shut up. Look who's talking, you're just as bad as me, if not worse." Rika smirked.

"I don't _complain_ about them." Takuya waved his finger dismissively in the air. He shoved the last bit of his pizza slice into his mouth. "I just make fun of them behind their backs. There's a difference."

Rika was about to open her mouth for a retort when suddenly, she heard footsteps approaching. Somebody was coming!

"I don't think we're alone." Rika whispered. "I can hear…footsteps."

"Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit!" Takuya exclaimed. He swiftly looked around, trying to find a place to hide the pizza box that he was holding. "Where are we going to put this?"

"Give me that!" Rika hissed as she forcefully snatched the box out of his hands. She grabbed Takuya by the shoulders. "I'll make a run for it, and you distract whoever's coming as long as you can!"

"Oh great. How am I supposed to do that?" Takuya asked, sounding desperate. But Rika was already running away, and soon, she disappeared like a shadow behind the swarm of trees.

Less than a minute later, he saw Mimi running towards him, wearing a vacant smile on her heart-shaped face. The gorgeous brunette held an arrow in between her fingers, occasionally twirling it around like a toy. Takuya only hoped that Mimi was completely clueless about the situation, but he didn't know how long Mimi was in the forest or how much of the conversation she has heard. After all, Mimi didn't earn the title of tribe gossip without doing her fair share of spying and eavesdropping on her tribe members when they least expected it.

"Hey Takuya! Casey told me that I'll find you somewhere around here." Mimi said in her sweet, girlish voice. "I found this arrow on the ground back at our campsite, and I wasn't sure if you needed it or not." She shrugged her shoulders, handing the arrow over to Takuya. "But just in case, I thought you should bring it over to you."

"Oh. Uh, thanks a gazillion, Mimi." Takuya forced a weak smile on his face.

"So, where's Rika?" Mimi asked, turning her head around. "I thought she was with you on this little hunting trip of yours."

"Umm…I-I…don't…" Takuya nervously stuttered. He didn't work well with pressure. "Rika is…chasing after…a bird and…she's going to…kill it."

"I see." Mimi nodded her head at first, but then she frowned. "Hey, why didn't you go with her? You shouldn't let a girl go into this scary forest all by herself!" She put her hands on her hips in mock anger. "I know just because Rika acts like a guy on the exterior, it doesn't give you the right to not treat her like a lady!"

"Nah, Rika is a tough girl. She can take care of herself." Takuya smiled innocently. He attempted at a joke to distract Mimi from asking any more questions. "Besides, she's probably strong enough to kick my ass any day of the week anyway."

_**Mimi: **Takuya could be very charming when he wants to be. I mean, the guy isn't handsome or even close to it, but he has a very outgoing personality that could really work to his advantage in this game. Of course, it helps that he's the only male blood in this tribe – he has no other competition!_

She giggled, smiling vacantly at the cameras as she twirled her finger around a lock of brown hair.

_**Mimi: **Most of the women are gung ho about girl power and how women can survive on an island without the help from men, but I totally disagree. We need a man on our tribe. I mean, half of us don't even know how to shoot an arrow, let alone kill all of those birds that Takuya brings back to camp everyday! Plus, he's a really strong athlete in challenges. We need his strength if we ever want to break out of our losing streak!_

Mimi paused, as the coy smile on her face began to fade away.

_**Mimi: **However, no matter how much he contributes to Gorebyss, I'm a smart enough girl to know that I should never trust a man in this game. I think there's not a single honest man in this world. So if the time calls for it, I would not hesitate to kick Takuya to the curb. So long, goodbye!_

"Hey Mimi, I want to apologize for my horrible attitude yesterday. I was upset that Zoe was voted off and I let my emotions get the best of me." Takuya said, hanging his head down in shame. "But now, I realize that it's just a game. And getting voted off is _part_ of the game."

"Apology accepted," said Mimi in her sweetest voice. She ruffled Takuya's messy hair with her hand as a wily grin crept across his face. "You're so sweet, Takuya."

"So, what are you planning to do for the rest of the day?" Takuya asked.

"Me? I'm probably going to do a little sunbathing with Cassidy. The weather is _so_ nice today, perfect for a tan!" Mimi smiled. She eyed Takuya's body up and down for a few seconds. "Want to come? Your body might need a little tan too!"

"Uh…" Takuya hesitated. Just the thought of spending any time with the women was giving him shivers all over his body. If Zoe was here, she definitely wouldn't approve of this. But Mimi just stood there with her puppy eyes and a genuine smile on her innocent face. How could he refuse?

"Come on! I need someone to help me put sun lotion on my back!" Mimi smiled, nudging Takuya with her elbow.

"Okay, why not? It'd be cool, I guess." Takuya shrugged his shoulders.

"Super!" Mimi grinned naively. "I'll be waiting for you back at camp!"

Takuya forced a weak smile on his face as well, feeling as if he sold his soul to the devil. Zoe wouldn't like this one bit, but she wasn't playing this game any longer. She wasn't here anymore. If Takuya wanted to survive in this game, he'd just have to learn how to move on. And that consisted of learning how to be diplomatic towards these women, even if he didn't like them.

When he finally found Rika (who hid very far away) and told her about his plans with Mimi for the rest of the morning, she was shocked. Although Takuya promised her that he'll go hunt with her in the afternoon, Rika felt it was wrong for him to fraternize with the enemy! But like always, Rika didn't express her inner emotions to Takuya. Even people who were close to Rika would never be able to read her unpleasantly stoic face.

"It's only going to be a few hours. You won't even notice that I'm gone!" Takuya said, scratching his head.

"Okay, goggle-head. You go have fun with your little tanning session," said Rika in a dry and sarcastic voice.

"C'mon…like I'll have any fun with Cassidy and Mimi sunbathing." Takuya sniggered. "It's going to be more like torture."

"At least you'll get an eyeful of Cassidy's plastic surgery in all their glory." Rika smirked.

"Please, I'm not that type of guy!" Takuya sighed as if he was feeling troubled, although Rika could see a sheepish smile on his face. "But trust me…I'm doing this for both of us. I'm going to talk with Cassidy and Mimi to see if I could buy us some more time. There must be a way for us to stay longer in this tribe."

"How are you going to do that, dumbass?" Rika asked in her usual frank and blunt demeanour.

"Flatter them with compliments. Flirt with them if I have to. Make them think that we're the bread and butter of this tribe." Takuya grinned. "You know…the usual."

_**Rika: **I noticed that lately, Takuya is compromising himself in order to look good in front of the women. He's spending luxury time with Mimi and Cassidy, even attempting to befriend them. He says that he's playing the game, but I think Takuya is just blatantly sucking up to those shrieking harpies._

Rika cracked her knuckles in front of the cameras as she gave this video confessional.

_**Rika: **It sickens me to see him degrade to this level of begging. He's putting on a façade, which just makes Takuya nearly as bad as those plastic women. But I guess I'm too much of a straight-shooter, huh? I'm Rika Nonaka and what you see is what you get._

- - -

It started off as a peaceful evening in the Huntail tribe.

Brock and May were preparing dinner for their tribe. Today, Drew and JP finally made their first catch in the sea, grinning from ear to ear as they brought back one humungous fish to camp. Needless to say, everybody in Huntail was expecting the Huntail chefs to cook a delicious and appetizing meal tonight. Sitting nearby the Pokemon Breeder, Takato and JP were enjoying a quiet game of checkers. James and Drew were standing over the two players, watching the game in progress. While James seemed fascinated as Takato pondered over his next move, Drew looked like he was bored to tears with this slow paced game.

"Not interested, Drew?" James asked, attempting to build a light conversation with the green-haired Pokemon Coordinator.

"The only people who like checkers are old geezers and boring people." Drew smirked, flipping his green hair behind his shoulder. "I'd rather play a more intellectual game, like chess."

"Have it your way," sighed James.

"Dude, don't diss checkers! It totally rocks!" JP grinned, shaking a fist playfully at Drew. "Takato did a great job with the limited equipment that he had out here." He chuckled. "Come on! We're playing checkers out here on a stranded island, who would've thought that was possible?"

Thanks to Takato's innovation this morning, the Huntail tribe now had another outlet for entertainment. First, he designed a neatly drawn game board on the sand. The players had to be careful where they put their legs though, if they didn't want to destroy his drawing. As for the game pieces, Takato used small stones that he picked up by the shoreline. He put half of these stones into their cooking pot and boiled them over the fire until the greyish pebbles were scorched into black rocks. And now, they had a set of different coloured game pieces to play checkers with.

_**May: **Takato constantly comes up with these creative ideas for our tribe. Can you believe it? He found a way to let us play checkers on this boring island! And you probably know that he was the one who designed the blueprint of the comfy shelter for us, right? He's thoughtful, he's kind and he's nowhere nearly as annoying as my brother. Sorry Max if you're watching this, but I want to adopt Takato as the little brother that I never had! Haha, just kidding!_

Drew yawned, turning his head away from the checkers game. From a distance, he could see a faint figure hobbling towards them in a distance. He let out a sigh of relief and turned his head back to the rest of his tribe members.

"Great. TK is back, we can start dinner now," said Drew.

"Where did he go?" James asked.

"I think he was taking a dump." JP snickered. He cleared his throat and grinned. "Excuse me, what I meant was that he was doing his business in the bushes."

"Why is he walking like that? He looks like he's stumbling…" May muttered, looking up from the fire that she was tending to a few seconds ago.

"Hurry up and get here, will ya, TK?" JP leapt up from his seat and shouted. "I'm hungry!"

As TK walked closer to the group, they finally noticed that something was wrong with the blonde's left leg. He was dragging it through the sand with all of his effort, wearing an exasperated expression on his face. There was a trail of red blood in the path where TK just walked through.

"Oh my god, you're bleeding!" May exclaimed in horror, scrambling up from her seat on the log. Takato also leapt up and gasped.

"Holy crap! Are you alright, buddy?" JP cried, finally realizing that there has been a serious injury.

"What happened, TK?" Brock asked in a concerned voice as he ran towards the blonde. The other five tribe members immediately followed him.

"I was attacked by an Ursaring…" TK mumbled as he leaned against Brock's arm for support. "I was trying to run away, but it grabbed my leg." He winced at the pain that he felt as he tried to move. "I called for help, but nobody was around. I did escape though…"

James let out a piercing shriek as TK was describing about his accident.

"Oh my god, oh my god, oh my god…" May said rapidly, repeating her words in a loop.

"You…you need medical attention _now_!" Brock said, trying his best to stay calm.

"It's not _that_ bad, is it?" TK bit his lips. "I can still move just fine. I'm okay, I promise…"

"Dude, this isn't a joke! You've just been attacked, for crying out loud! Somebody call the medic!" JP yelled hysterically, grabbing onto TK's shoulder with a tight grip.

_**JP: **TK came back from an unsupervised area and he got attacked by a wild bear! They told us that there were a few bears on this island, but nobody actually thought they'd be so dangerous! Holy shit, I was crapping in my pants when I saw how busted his leg looked. It was like, it was as if his leg was twisted and mangled and leaking with blood! _

He waved his hands maniacally in the air.

_**JP: **If it looked bad from where I was standing, I could only imagine how much worse the pain that TK felt…_

The show's paramedics arrived quickly as they checked up on TK's leg. They were speaking in rushed whispers, but some of them wore worried expressions on their faces. The other tribe members looked on helplessly, scared and confused at the unexpected event. An emotional May buried herself into Brock's body, crying passionately in his comforting arms. Takato just stood there with his jaw hanged open, speechless and trembling with fear. Even Drew, who was normally so cool and composed under pressure, looked as pale as a ghost.

Finally, the paramedics shook their heads at each other. The situation was too grave for TK to spend the rest of the night in this camp. They carried his fragile body onto a stretcher, where the blonde will be treated by a team of doctors and nurses.

"Don't worry about me, you guys. I'll be okay," said TK in a feeble voice.

"Stay strong, TK!" Brock said.

"We…we need you!" James added.

Huntail spent the rest of the night around the fire as a tight-knitted group, sleepless and immensely worried about the blonde's fate. There wasn't much conversation amongst them, except the occasional speculation to what will happen. Some of them prayed silently, hoping that TK would safely return in one piece. Some of them cried emotionally, not understanding how such misfortune could fall upon a great guy like TK. And some of them just gazed sadly into the fire, feeling frustrated that they didn't do anything to prevent the accident.

JP sighed as he stared at the trail of dry blood on the sand. That was the direction where the stretcher carried TK and his badly injured leg. It sent shivers down his spine, just picturing how that bleeding leg looked, limping like the dead body of an animal. However, JP was confident that his blonde friend would safely return. Any minute now, he would arrive back at camp with that bright and optimistic smile on his handsome face.

Any minute now…

But that night, TK never came back.

- - -

**DAY 12**

Still upset about the events that occurred last night, JP wasn't feeling extremely enthusiastic as he went to retrieve treemail with Drew this morning. TK's unfortunate accident helped him and many of the other tribe members realize that this was just more than a game to win one million dollars. Survivor was _real_. The predators were real. The injuries were real. The dangers that lurked within the dark and brooding forest were real. But most importantly, their emotions were real. Their fears, their concerns, their worries, their tears that they expressed over TK's accident…those were all real. Only after yesterday night did Huntail truly bond as a tribe – a tribe that genuinely cared and loved each other.

"It would suck if TK got taken out of the game this way," mumbled JP, kicking a small rock on the ground.

Drew nodded his head, but said nothing.

"Dude, I hope he's going to be alright." JP continued, sighing. "But he's a tough kid. He'll be fine."

"Look, JP. I know what happened to TK is unfortunate…" Drew said, choosing his words very carefully. JP was a very sensitive person and the sly Coordinator didn't want to say anything to offend him. "But with or without TK, we're still playing a game. And if we want to survive for long, we've to do something about our positions here in Huntail."

"I know, I know." JP frowned. He gruffly crossed his arms across his chest. "What do you propose, smart guy?"

"For starters, we both know that Brock and May are in control over Huntail. In fact, I'd say they have too much power in this tribe for their own good," said Drew.

"Right, those two make all the decisions and Takato is their little bitch. I'm with you." JP nodded his head in an emphatic tone.

"But ah, Brock, May and Takato are only a trio. They don't have the majority." Drew began to smile. He held up four fingers in his right hand to demonstrate his point. "If James, TK, you and me all work in an alliance and vote for the same person, we'd be able to cause a huge power shift in this tribe."

JP narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the green-haired boy.

"Sorry Drew, but the last time we trusted you and James in an alliance, both TK and I ended up getting screwed at tribal council." JP spitted. "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

"You must realize that I'm your only hope of staying on this tribe, right?" Drew asked. "You'd be a bigger fool if you think that Brock will keep you around over James or me or his two chummy buddies. Brock's clique chose to target you because you were the outsider at the first tribal council. As soon as we lose our next immunity challenge, you're gone." He wore a smarmy smirk on his face. "JP, if you know what's best for you, you _will_ work with me and help me take Brock out of this game."

"I don't work with backstabbers. TK and I will never align with someone as dishonest and dishonourable as James," muttered JP bitterly.

"You aren't going to get far in this game if you can't keep your emotions in check." Drew said this in his usual condescending manner. "You might not like James, so what? Can't you see the light?"

"Dude, I can't do it. I'd rather take my chances with swaying Brock's mind than to work with James. He's a pesky, slimy rat. At least I've _respect_ for Brock for everything that he has done with our tribe." JP shook his head sternly. As an afterthought, he added. "You aren't a saint either, Drew. I didn't forget that you backstabbed Butch too."

"You're not thinking intelligently right now. I'll give you some time to reflect over my words," said Drew.

_**Drew: **That fat clown JP is too emotional for this ruthless game. Here's someone who would rather vote James out just because JP doesn't like him as a human being. Even more baffling is that he's willing to keep Brock around, even though Brock would vote him out in the blink of an eye. It's completely ridiculous! JP makes all of his decisions based on how his heart feels, but he should be using his brain in the first place._

He flipped his green hair over his shoulder.

_**Drew: **If you can't separate the fine line between your emotions and your strategy, then you're just an idiot. Unfortunately, JP is that idiotic, but I still need his vote in my little scheme._

After they retrieved a piece of parchment about the upcoming immunity challenge, JP and Drew quietly walked back to their campsite. They passed by their tribe's motorboat, which still had the words 'Brock sucks' scrawled across the white paint. But suddenly, they saw somebody waving energetically at them from a distance. A huge grin spread across JP's face as soon as he saw who it was.

It was TK.

Although the blonde was hobbling on his injured leg, he was moving at a rather speedy pace as he approached the men. His athletic nature was shining through despite his injury. TK was smiling with enthusiasm, acting like nothing had happened to him or his bandaged leg. JP immediately ran towards him, grabbing the blonde by his shoulders and embraced him in a friendly bear hug.

"Hey! I can't believe you're back! The golden boy is back!" JP grinned, and then he looked up at the sky and mumbled a quick prayer.

"I told you I was fine. The doctors just wrapped some bandages around my leg and let me spend the night on a bed." TK chuckled, trying to free himself from JP's embrace. "You guys were overreacting."

"We were so worried about you last night!" JP laughed.

"It was just a minor cut," said TK.

"Glad to have you back on our tribe, TK." Drew added.

"I guess this means that I can't go on my morning jogs anymore," said TK, wearing a faint smile on his face.

"You can still walk every morning, dude!" JP chuckled playfully, grabbing TK by his shoulders with a tight grip. "Oh hell, I'll even accompany you on your morning strolls!"

"Thanks…" TK said slowly. He flashed an uncomfortable smile at JP. "But you _really_ need to let go of me. You're pressing against my bad leg."

"Sorry!" JP chuckled. He immediately released the blonde from his overenthusiastic embrace.

_**TK: **I've had better days, that's for sure. My leg is feeling better, but getting attacked by a bear is something that I never need to experience again! Sometimes, my left leg still hurts a bit when I try to move it, but at least it stopped bleeding. It's going to be excruciating for me to perform in the immunity challenge, but I'll try to block out the pain, mind over matter. Hey, this is Survivor. I'm not going to give up that easily due to a little injury. I'll just have to tough it out and keep on surviving._

The three boys walked back to the campsite, where Brock and James were sitting in front of the fire. Brock was humming a pleasant song under his breath as he prepared breakfast for his tribe. James looked a bit groggy though, since he only woke up minutes ago. As soon as the men noticed TK's presence at camp, both of their faces lit up in delight.

"Welcome back, TK! We know you'd be back." Brock smiled.

"We all miss you!" James squealed excitedly.

TK sat down beside Brock on the log, wincing a little when he bent his left knee. However, he quickly brushed the pained expression off when he turned his head towards James.

"Sorry James, but I don't think I could accompany you on your water trip today. I'd just slow you down." TK smiled sheepishly at the Team Rocket member.

"No, no! That's okay!" James waved his hand in dismissal. "You hurt your leg! I understand that you need rest."

"I don't want you to think that I'm being lazy though," TK continued.

"Actually, this won't be a problem." Brock cleared his throat. "No worries, I already got the water this morning."

"What?" James shouted, sounding completely shocked at the revelation. He nervously stumbled the words out, "B-but that's my job!"

"I was doing you a favour." Brock said, "Now that you don't have to work on water duty anymore, you can spend all of your time carving graffiti on our boat."

"Is that what this is about, the stupid message? But I didn't do it!" James squealed in a high pitched voice.

"I believe you," said Brock in a tone that sounded like he didn't believe a single word James said.

_**TK: **Don't get me wrong, I've my own issues with James in this game. But sometimes, I feel that Brock picks on James a little too much. He is prejudiced towards James just because he's a criminal from Team Rocket. I don't think it's fair at all to blame James for everything bad that happens in this tribe. He's not the tribe scapegoat! Brock doesn't have any evidence that James did write the message on the boat, so it was a bit conceited of him to make that quick assumption. _

TK paused as he flashed a weak smile to the cameras. He used his hand to gently rub his bandaged leg.

_**TK: **I used to have a lot of respect for Brock, because he helped our tribe gain a lot of momentum after Butch was voted off. I still respect him to a certain degree, but I'm starting to see a few chinks in his armour, a few flaws in his personality. And I hate to say this, but they're not pretty._

"Dudes, dudes…" JP stepped in to break up the tension between the Pokemon Breeder and the Team Rocket member. "I think we've other priorities to worry about than water duty today. In less than an hour, we've to go compete in the immunity challenge."

"But he's stealing my job!" James cried.

"Funny." Brock chuckled cynically. "Normally, you're the one who does the stealing around here."

"JP is right about this. Just let it go, guys." TK nodded his head, while James turned away in an angry fit.

"C'mon, let's talk about our upcoming challenge!" JP said, trying to sound enthusiastic as he unrolled the piece of parchment in his hands.

Drew leaned forward in his seat, pretending to be interested in reading the mail that was in JP's hands. But actually, he was trying to hide a guilty smirk on his face. And had his tribe members paid more attention to the seemingly quiet coordinator, they would've spotted the amount of smug satisfaction oozing out of his smirk. But because he was so quiet and said so little words, they forgot about him.

And they didn't notice him.

And they didn't even expect that the tension in this normally peaceful tribe originated from him.

_**Drew: **I'll fess up my crime, officer. James was innocent, it's me who carved those words on the motorboat that night. It killed me to do so because it was such a beautiful boat, but I think the payoff was worth it. If that big fat idiot JP screws up and I can't get Brock voted out of this tribe, I need a back-up plan. And what better plan is there than to designate the naïve and gullible James as my fall guy? As long as I'm still here after tribal council, I don't care who is shafted as the scapegoat._

Drew chuckled softly as he flipped his hair over his shoulder.

_**Drew: **I don't consider Brock a bad leader, but he's too powerful and influential in our tribe. I need to vote him off because he's a huge threat, but nobody is willing to discuss strategy with me here. The problem lies in the fact that Huntail is too much of a love tribe. I can't stand how everyone gets along and nobody wants to vote each other off. What I did with the boat was fuel anger and animosity in our tribe. Hopefully, a few seeds of doubt will be planted inside people's heads and this will just generally cause them to sweat a little._

His emerald green eyes gazed sinisterly at the cameras.

_**Drew:** Those idiots may not know it yet, but this tribe is in the progress of going through another power shift…_

- - -

The two tribes arrived on the challenge beach, prepared to compete in their fourth immunity challenge. A cheerful Professor Birch was standing behind a dining table, which looked strangely misplaced on a bare island like this one. Takuya and Takato both recognized that it was the same table used in their reward challenge two days ago. In fact, there was a plate placed in the middle of the table and on the plate were twelve pokeballs. Takato gulped nervously, wondering if it was another gross food challenge.

"Huntail, take a look at the new Gorebyss tribe." Professor Birch paused dramatically. "Zoe voted out at the last tribal council."

JP widened his eyes in surprise at this announcement. Beside him, Brock muttered something about how the best looking girl got voted off.

"I'm going to have to take immunity back, Huntail." Professor Birch said, snatching the Golden Pokeball that Brock was holding.

"Professor, can I make a request?" Brock asked.

"Shoot." Professor Birch made a lame gesture with his hand that resembled a gun.

"TK injured his leg yesterday and I don't know if he's in the right state to participate in this challenge." Brock began. "I was wondering if he could sit out of this challenge and let Takato participate this one instead. Since we have more people on our tribe, we have to sit somebody out anyway. Can it be TK?"

"Hell no!" Cassidy retorted before Professor Birch even opened his mouth to speak. She waved her finger dismissively at the other tribe. "The rules clearly state that whoever you sent to the reward challenge can't participate in the immunity challenge!"

"That's true." Professor Birch agreed numbly. "But Gorebyss, can you find the goodness in your hearts and let Takato participate in this challenge while TK sit out?"

"Sorry, but you have no other choice. The cripple will have to participate." Cassidy said, closing her eyes as if it was the end of discussion. Some of the tribe members standing behind her looked troubled at Cassidy's decision, but said nothing (like always) to defy against the Gorebyss leader's orders.

"Gorebyss, if you didn't know…TK was attacked by a bear last night," explained Professor Birch.

"Don't worry about it, professor. I'm willing to give this challenge a go! Huntail shouldn't get a leg up in the competition just because of my injury." TK smiled weakly.

"Damn right." Cassidy said, nodding her head. "In Survivor, we play by the rules."

"As the host of the game, I think I know the rules just a teensy bit better than you, Miss Cassidy." Professor Birch wore a forced smile on his face to entertain the feisty Team Rocket leader. "Without further ado, let me explain what today's immunity challenge is about." He walked over to the table and held up the plate that contained the pokeballs. "Inside these pokeballs are twelve different Pokemon, all water types. Each participant will choose one of these pokeballs randomly before beginning the challenge. You may do so now."

With the exception of Takato, everybody walked over to Professor Birch and picked a Pokeball from the plate.

"In this challenge, all of the contenders will be confined to a small ring in the sea." Professor Birch explained as he pointed out to a section of the sea that was marked with buoys formed in a circular pattern. "Each of you will be riding on the body of the water Pokemon that you just chose. The objective is to knock the members of the opposite tribe off of their Pokemon's bodies, because once a player makes contact with water, they're out of the challenge." Some of the players were already whispering strategies with their tribe members. "You'll only be allowed to touch the other tribe members using your Pokemon's Water Gun attack. If used properly, this strong but harmless pulse of water will help you eliminate members from the other tribe. Whichever tribe gets completely eliminated will have to attend another tribal council meeting with me. Got it?"

After Professor Birch finished with the instructions, the twelve participants carried their Pokeballs with them as they swam out to sea. It was only when they were in the 'ring' (the boundaries were marked by buoys) did they release their water Pokemon. The sea creatures came in various appearances and sizes, each of them was a different breed. The petite Rika got to ride on the dragon-like Gyarados, the largest Pokemon contending in the challenge, whereas the stocky JP barely hanged on to the fins of his small but fierce Sharpedo.

Once all of the contestants were riding on their water Pokemon, Professor Birch raised his hand in the air to signal the beginning of this challenge.

"Survivors ready? Begin!"

As soon as the challenge started, all of the players ordered their Pokemon to launch their Water Gun attacks at different directions. Most of the shots were misses or easily dodged by the flexible players, and a few of these attacks actually connected, drenching the passenger with water from head to toe.

"My clothes are soaked!" James cried as he clung onto the neck of his Lapras with a fierce grip. He had just been attacked by Casey's Mantine, but it wasn't powerful enough to knock him into the water.

Meanwhile, some of the players realized that an individual attack was not powerful enough to blast a player off their Pokemon, so they decided to work together to gang up against some of the weaker players. Drew and May both ordered their Pokemons, a Milotic and a Starmie respectively, to launch their Water Gun attacks at Delia. The feeble housewife could do nothing to defend herself as she sat on the back of her Blastoise. The double throbs of water were strong enough to push Delia off balance, knocking her into the sea.

"The sea claims its first casualty in the form of Delia! Please remove yourself from the challenge arena!" Professor Birch yelled through his megaphone. He was watching this challenge on the shoreline with Takato.

More water attacks were exchanged between the competitors, but most stayed on their Pokemon by clinging on to their dear lives. Cassidy and Takuya played on the offensive side, both of them attacking TK repeatedly with Water Gun attacks, trying to knock the athletic blonde off of his Walrein, the walrus Pokemon. As Rika and her Gyarados swam over to gang up against him, she was caught off guard when May's Starmie fired a Water Gun directly in her head. Although Rika tried to stay on her Pokemon by clutching her fingers on its body, her legs made contact with the water. At roughly the same time, Takuya and Cassidy also managed to wear TK down, also eliminating him from the challenge.

"Rika and TK are now out of the challenge! Huntail has a tiny lead over Gorebyss, but it still could be anybody's game!"

While mostly everybody excelled in commanding their Pokemon, Mimi was struggling to get her Corsola to listen to her orders. The rock Pokemon shook Mimi off its body, flinging her into the water with ease.

"Mimi dropped into the water by her own Pokemon! She is also out of the challenge!"

The formidable duo of Takuya and Cassidy moved together in the water as they laid eyes on their next victim. JP and his Sharpedo tried to fight back, but it proved too weak as both Wailmer and Tentacruel fired their Water Gun attacks on JP at the same time. His entire body was drenched with cold water, but he was still clutching onto his shark Pokemon's fins to stay alive in the challenge. Meanwhile, the rest of Huntail was ganging up against Casey and her Mantine with their quad some water attacks. Casey tried her best to dodge each of their attacks with her swift footing, but she was eventually knocked down into the water by Brock's Dewgong.

"Casey is out of the challenge! And so is Cassidy!"

At the same time that Casey fell into the water, JP launched a surprise attack with his Sharpedo, hitting the undefended Cassidy off of her Tentacruel. She cursed and kicked her feet in the water, but luckily, Takuya avenged for her elimination by immediately removing JP off of Sharpedo's body with a strong Water Gun attack.

"JP is out of the challenge. Takuya is the only person in the challenge for Gorebyss, but he has to face against four people from Huntail: Brock, Drew, May and James!"

The odds simply weren't in Takuya's favour. As soon as this challenge turned into four against one, it was inevitable that his fate was doomed. While he stalled a bit of time by swimming around the ring, trying to avoid all of the Water Gun attacks, he was eventually defeated when all four Huntail members have their Pokemon attack him at the same time. The force was too strong for Takuya to overcome and the combination of water attacks formed an imaginary fist, punching the goggle-head in the face as he plummeted into the water.

"Takuya is out of the challenge! Gorebyss is defeated! Huntail wins immunity!"

For the third consecutive time, Huntail won the immunity challenge. This time, it was a collaborative effort made by the entire group. Gorebyss didn't even come close to defeating the powerhouse – they were simply decimated one by one. And although Huntail was the tribe that couldn't pull together to win the first immunity challenge, it seemed like that was a silly thing in the past. They made the ultimate comeback, winning nearly every challenge against Gorebyss since then. Some might be thrilled at their unstoppable winning streak, some might be letting their guard down at their temporary safety, but the most important thing was – Huntail won.

"Congratulations, your tribe is safe from tribal council tonight." Professor Birch said, handing the Golden Pokeball to Takato, who was receiving it on the behalf of his tribe's honour.

JP grinned, pumping his fist into the air. Another victory, another tribal council escaped, another three more days on the island.

It felt _good_ to be on the winning side.

- - -

It was another devastating defeat for the Gorebyss tribe. Some of the players actually felt numb to the loss by now as they did their regular chores at camp pretending like nothing had happened. Takuya and Rika disappeared into the forest together, hoping to hunt a couple of birds before the sky turned dark. Delia was in her usual place inside the shelter, lying lazily on her aching back, towel on her sweating forehead. She was trying to sleep, but her slumber was constantly interrupted by her hacking coughs.

_**Casey: **We lost another immunity challenge, so after tonight, our tribe will be down to five. Yeah, it sucks to keep losing and losing. We put our best in every challenge, but our best still isn't enough. Just for once, I'd really like to win a challenge…but that's just how the cookie crumbles._

Sitting around the fire were the other three women, pretending to do work when they were actually gossiping in low voices and soft whispers. Every time they had to go to tribal council, the three of them would hold an impromptu strategic discussion just before going to tribal council. Most often, it was Cassidy who made all of the decisions, while her loyal followers Mimi and Casey just nod their heads and listen attentively. Yes, Cassidy. What a great idea, Cassidy.

But their discussion was different today – and it might be the first time in this game when Cassidy did _not_ get her way.

"I think it's a stupid decision. I'm just telling you…if we vote out Delia, we're making a _big_ mistake." Casey said, folding her arms.

"Casey, stop being a stubborn cow and listen to us!" Cassidy yelled in a loud whisper. She sounded like she was losing her patience with the petite girl. "Delia is _useless_ around camp. She's _lazy_ and she's _weak_ in challenges. We'll still have the majority in this tribe even if we vote her out of the game."

"We're not going to win any challenges if we keep Delia around. She's sick like a dog!" Mimi added in an exasperated voice.

"But you're giving Takuya a free pass in this game!" Casey argued. "He's going to get three more days on this island!"

"We can vote him off at the _next_ tribal council," said Cassidy, waving her hand in dismissal.

"I hate to admit this, but I think we _do_ need Takuya for his strength in challenges." Mimi said, frowning. "We already lost three immunity challenges so far! We can't afford to lose any more challenges!"

"I don't know if that scumbag Takuya will help us win any challenges, but…" Cassidy clicked her tongue. "But I do know that we _won't_ win any challenges if we continue to piggyback Delia in this game."

Casey tilted her baseball cap on her head as she tried to think of an argument against Cassidy about this matter.

"Give Delia one more chance, I promise you she'll do better in the challenges…she's recovering from her illness." Casey pleaded.

"I gave her more than enough chances! My goodness, I feel like I'm Mother Teresa giving her all of these chances to redeem herself!" Cassidy hissed venomously. "I've been too charitable to Delia, but she is still weak, ill and useless. Nothing you say can change that fact."

"Delia is _so_ yesterday's news," echoed Mimi.

"Besides, Takuya and Rika already agreed that they'll vote Delia off at this tribal council." Cassidy added, smirking. "They're fed up with the desperate housewife's laziness, just like us."

"Takuya is manipulating you," muttered Casey.

"I'm so much smarter than that, little one." Cassidy smiled thinly, patting Casey on her head like a dying puppy. "The boy might be slick with his words, but I've got a sharper tongue that could pierce his dim-witted brain any day of the week."

"Everything is going to be alright, Casey! You worry too much." Mimi said in her sweetest, most genuine voice. She gave the petite girl a brief hug.

"So, are you going to vote with us or not? Are you going to throw away your whole game just for that ungrateful woman?" Cassidy asked.

Casey sighed deeply. She wished she had some other choice.

_**Delia: **I'm a mother. I'm good at reading people's faces. I've spent years reading my son's face, knowing how he's feeling inside even if he doesn't say it to me in words. And because of that, I notice about the small and subtle changes in the camp. People start behaving differently when I'm around. They're distancing away from me. They're not looking me in the eye. I can take a hint – I know I'm not wanted around in this tribe._

She coughed, brushing a strand of brown hair away from her pale cheeks.

_**Delia: **I did everything I could to survive out here, but everything that happens seems to be out of my control. I thought I had my lucky break when Cassidy's alliance spared me in the second tribal council. But now, they don't need my vote anymore, so they're just going to vote me out like I'm a bag of garbage disposed on Wednesday night. No remorse, no hesitation. I don't even get a say in my own destiny._

Just before the tribe members hiked to tribal council, Delia found Casey as she was packing her belongings in the shelter. The little girl didn't do this until the last second, hoping that she would be able to avoid an awkward encounter with Delia. But the mother from Pallet Town had been waiting for her the entire time, ambushing her in a reluctant conversation at the last minute before the vote. She stopped Casey before she had a chance to tiptoe away.

"There you are, Casey!" Delia said, smiling weakly at the girl. "I've been looking for you."

"Huh? I was…busy. Did you need me for something?" Casey grimaced. The last person she wanted to see right now was Delia.

"Oh, I just thought it's strange that you avoided me for the entire day," explained Delia. "In the past, you always inform me beforehand about who I should vote for in tribal council."

One look inside Casey's hazelnut brown eyes and Delia knew. She knew all about their plans for the upcoming vote. She had noticed their body movements, their hand gestures, their eye contact, their inaudible whispering with one another. And now, she _knew_. Casey struggled to fight back the tears that trickled from her eyes. She hated herself for being so hopeless and helpless to do anything for Delia, the one person who Casey always looked up to as a mother figure, a respected idol, a true friend.

Casey slowly walked up to Delia and hugged her. And then, in a soft and sombre whisper, she murmured into her ear:

"I tried, Mrs. Ketchum. But I'm really sorry..."

- - -

By now, everything about tribal council regrettably felt familiar to the Gorebyss tribe. Professor Birch, who stood in front of the Dewgong ice sculpture like always, didn't need to repeat his usual procedures about what fire represented and how they needed to dip their torches into the fire pit. Gorebyss quietly walked into tribal council, lit their torches and sat down on the wooden bleachers. They knew what was going to happen and they expected the worst.

"Well, well, well. I shouldn't be surprised, but I am." Professor Birch sighed as he sadly smiled at the tribe of six. "Gorebyss, you're here _again_. Cassidy, how does it feel to constantly be a loser?"

"What do you think? It absolutely blows to lose at nearly every challenge out here. I don't understand why we keep losing." Cassidy shouted angrily, shaking her fist in a frustrated manner. "I think it might be time for Gorebyss to re-evaluate its members and cut out the weakest link."

"Do you think that's a fair thing to do, Delia?" Professor Birch asked.

"No, I don't think it's fair." Delia shook her head. She looked down at her quivering knees with a weak smile. "But this game isn't supposed to be fair."

"Why do you say that?" Professor Birch added hastily with an uneasy gaze.

"Some of us might not be as strong _athletically_, but we contribute to the camp in different ways. We're all valuable one way or the other. For example, I always keep a positive attitude and it keeps the camp morale high in this tribe," replied Delia, glancing over at some of her tribe members for their reactions. They don't look back at her.

"I disagree." Takuya raised his hand in the air, gesturing that he was about to speak. "I think this game is about the survival of the fittest. If you're weak as hell, then you can't blame your tribe members for voting you out."

"I wasn't talking to you, Takuya." Professor Birch snapped in a noticeably snippier tone.

"Sorry." Takuya said, lowering his hand.

"Casey, what do you think?" Professor Birch asked, looking at the petite girl with a disapproving frown. "Is it the right decision for Gorebyss to vote out their tribe members based purely on strength?"

"No…" Casey answered hesitantly. She had an uncomfortable expression on her face. "Strength is only one of the factors in challenges. Just because you're athletic, it doesn't mean that you'll excel in the challenges that require you to solve puzzles."

"So, do you think it's narrow-minded thinking for someone to vote a person off just because they aren't athletic?" Professor Birch asked.

Casey gulped. Professor Birch was asking some _really_ difficult questions tonight.

"A little," said Casey.

"Are you one of those narrow-minded people?" Professor Birch asked in a sterner voice.

"I…I…" Casey seemed to be searching her answers in the other tribe members' blank faces. With little success, she turned her gaze back at Professor Birch. "I'd like to think I am not..."

"Mimi, how about you?" Professor Birch asked. "Judging on what I see in the challenges so far, your performances are pretty pathetic. Do you feel threatened that you might be voted off because of that?"

"To be honest, no…I don't think I'll be voted off tonight." Mimi raised her eyebrows. "What I lacked in the strength area, I made it up in the social department. I have some good friends, I talk with people and I built alliances…" Her smile grew more confident as she spoke. "I know I'm not the strongest person on this tribe and I never will be, but that shouldn't stop me from playing the game. A girl has got to do what she got to do in order to survive."

"Okay." Professor Birch sighed unhappily at Mimi's answer. "It's time to vote." He pointed his hand at Delia, "Delia, you're up first."

The tall and skinny housewife stood up and walked across the bridge to reach to the voting booth. She smiled sadly at the pen and the blank parchment. It was time for her to reluctantly write down another name, casting another vote to oust somebody out of this game. Delia really hated this part of the game. Finally, she wrote Takuya's name down on the parchment.

"This is probably a null vote, but oh well. Takuya, I don't appreciate the way you've been acting around camp ever since Zoe got voted off. It shows me that you have bad sportsmanship and can't graciously accept your defeats. I'm sorry, but that won't get you very far in life."

Delia smiled sadly at the cameras as she dumped the vote into the urn.

"If you ever get voted off in this game, please remember that _true _winners always exit with class."

"Sorry." Mimi said as she went to cast her vote next. She shrugged her shoulders casually. "But I think voting you off will improve our chances of winning the next few challenges."

"You know I hate to do this, but I've no other choice," mumbled a teary-eyed Casey as she cast her vote.

"It's time for us to trim down the dead weight in Gorebyss. I think you understand why we're voting you out tonight." Rika said emotionlessly as she wrote down a name on her parchment. "Nice woman, but nice doesn't get you a million dollars."

"Your useless and lazy ass stayed longer than it should have. I've been too sympathetic. Consider yourself a very lucky woman." Cassidy smirked as she went to cast the fifth vote of the night.

The last person to vote was Takuya. He picked up the pen and wrote down Delia's name on the piece of parchment. As he showed his vote to the cameras, a vindictive smile crept across his face.

"This would never have happened if you didn't vote Zoe out last tribal council. Believe it or not, Zoe always liked you. She always felt sorry for the fact that you were ill and how you never got to enjoy the true Survivor experience yet. And if she was still here, she would have never written your name down in a million years."

He dropped his vote into the urn.

"But because of your ungratefulness, Zoe isn't here anymore. So let me be the first to congratulate you, Delia Ketchum. That one stupid blunder cost you your entire game."

- - -

Professor Birch felt a sense of dread as he brought back the voting urn tonight. The six votes inside consisted of an outcome that he didn't like at all.

"The person voted off will be asked to leave tribal council area immediately." Professor Birch explained glumly. "I'll now read the votes."

"Delia." Professor Birch said as he pulled out the first vote.

Delia closed her eyes, anticipating for the worst. She knew that would not be the first time she'd hear her name at tribal council tonight.

"Takuya."

"Delia."

"Delia."

"The fourth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…" Professor Birch sighed heavily before he turned the fifth vote over. "Delia."

Casey fought back tears as Delia stood up and retrieved her torch from the back. Professor Birch said something about not needing to read the remaining vote, while Mimi was mumbling some vacant consoling words into her ear, but Casey wasn't listening to them. Right now, she could only watch powerlessly as Delia stumbled over to Professor Birch with her torch. Casey forced herself to look away.

"I'm sorry, Delia. The tribe has spoken." Professor Birch muttered as he snuffed out Delia's torch. "It's time for you to go."

Delia flashed a weak, helpless smile at him. She turned back and briefly glanced at her tribe, and then without saying anything, she walked into the forest. Soon, she disappeared from sight.

"We'll just see how well your tribe fares in challenges without Delia, but I've a feeling that your tribe will be back again." Professor Birch said pessimistically.

He paused as he eyed over the remaining five castaways. Cassidy was smirking and seemed to enjoying herself as she listened to the professor speak.

"Some of you think that you have the whole game wrapped around your fingers, but things are about to change…"

A sly grin appeared on Professor Birch's face.

"Tomorrow is Day 13. If you still remember when I said on the first day, you're about to encounter a second twist very soon…"

He snapped his fingers.

"And before you know it – your position in this game might be turned completely upside down."

A few castaways now wore puzzled expressions on their faces, confused to the ominous tone that the professor was speaking in. Oddly enough, this seemed to satisfy Professor Birch immensely, and a more pleasant smile finally returned to his bearded face for the first time since Delia got voted off.

"Okay, Gorebyss. You can head back to camp now. I'll see you tomorrow."

- - -

_**Delia's Final Words**_

I have no regrets. While I had the will power to play this game for thirty nine days, my ill body just won't allow it. I did make the best of my twelve days on Dewford Island, even though I spent most of my time coughing, sleeping or throwing up in the bushes. It's a shame that I didn't get to enjoy the scenery or even the game itself. Oh well. No regrets.

This experience help make me realize that I had to take better care of my body, because my immune system isn't as strong as I thought it was. You know, I should start working out regularly as soon as I head back to Pallet Town. But for a woman my age, I think just playing Survivor and not dying was a huge accomplishment for me, ha ha! I just hope I made all the single mothers and desperate housewives out there proud.

- - -

_**Next Time on Survivor –**_

**May forms an alliance with an unlikely tribe member…**  
_May: _An alliance? Hey, I like the idea!  
(She laughs as she drinks a sip of soup from her spoon.)  
_May: _Okay, okay. Let's do it.

**James furthers isolates himself from the Huntail tribe…**  
_Drew: _Where's James?  
(Some people turn their heads and look around. JP starts to chuckle.)  
_JP: _Oh. I didn't even notice that James isn't here!

**And the upcoming twist might change everything…**  
_Rika: _Hey, goggle-head! You'll come back, right?  
_Takuya: _Of course I will! Nothing's going to happen to me.  
(Rika watches as Takuya walks away from her. She scowls.)

_**All this and more on – Episode 5: Emancipation**_

**Author's Notes:** You can view the survey results in my home page and don't forget to take a survey after you read Episode 4! All of you submitted wonderful and thoughtful responses. I'd love to hear what you think of the story in a less structured manner, so please feel free to review and leave a comment in my guestbook. Thanks for reading!


	5. Episode 5: Emancipation

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**  
**By: Gomamon**

_**Last Time on Survivor:**_

_In the Huntail tribe, somebody left a hurtful message for Brock on the motorboat. Brock accuses James based on their past conflicts, but neither of them knows that it is actually Drew who hatched this scheme. At the same time, TK had to be evacuated from his tribe for a night when he got attacked by a bear, resulting in a badly wounded leg._

_Takuya is upset at the Gorebyss tribe for voting out Zoe at the previous tribal council, but most of the women didn't share sympathy for his loss. When he wins the reward challenge, Takuya gets his revenge when he decided to not share the food reward with Gorebyss. After he returned to camp, he only shared this secret stash of food with his ally, Rika. Gorebyss lost another immunity challenge, causing Cassidy and Mimi to reconsider how worthless Delia is to the tribe. Despite Casey's attempt to save her ill friend, the tribe unanimously voted Delia out in a 5-1 vote. Twelve remain, who will be voted off next?_

**Episode Five: Emancipation**

**Gorebyss: **_CASEY - CASSIDY – MIMI – RIKA – TAKUYA_

**Huntail: **_BROCK – DREW – JAMES – JP – MAY – TAKATO – TK_

- - -

**DAY 13**

This morning, James felt like he needed to escape from Huntail. A gut feeling inside him urged James to run away from his tribe and spend the rest of the day in peaceful solitude. If he had a choice, James would run, run, run away and never come back. He wanted nothing more than to lie on a sandy beach, to be soaked under the warm sun rays, to sleep and forget all of his problems in this game. And when he woke up, he wished that a miracle would launch itself upon him, a miracle that would somehow, someway make his many worries vanish in thin air.

As he sailed around the sea in the tribe's motorboat, James realized that he had no idea where he was going. He also remembered that Brock had said something about not travelling alone around the island, but James never gave too much weight to the advices that the Huntail leader provided, even though he knew Brock was only trying to ensure no more accidents happen within the tribe. Since the first day, Brock has made it very clear that James was not welcomed on this tribe because of his background. No, it wasn't just Brock who acted this way towards him. They all did. Sometimes, James wondered if his tribe members even respected him as a person.

_**James: **All of my tribe members view people as black or white, right or wrong, good or evil. Since I'm a proud member of the Team Rocket organisation, they're naturally inclined to think that I'm the bad guy. But...I disagree with this type of thinking. Humans are complex creatures and we all have different layers and dimensions to our personality. To just label me as a…a one-dimensional bad guy is…like, I don't know. It's a bit hurtful because nobody wants to be the bad guy. I certainly don't._

His enigmatic green eyes were cast down on the ground, not meeting with the cameras around him.

_**James: **It's so easy to judge people because of their faults and flaws. Most often, it's an inaccurate and superficial opinion. I think if any of my tribe even tried to know me a little better, they might realize that we don't live in a black and white world, and that, even though I lead a different lifestyle from them, it doesn't make me any lesser of a human being._

"I think I'm going to spend the day on Shipwreck Island," reported James. He was talking to one of the accompanying cameramen, who could do nothing more than nod and tag along on the boat.

Luckily, James knew how to navigate a boat from his vast experiences, so he had no problem driving it towards Shipwreck Island, a tiny island that the tribe found during their first sea expedition. It was the habitat of many exotic Pokemon, such as the jovial Seel and the pleasant Aipom. James loved this island, the scenery, the animals and most importantly, the isolation. On this remote island, he felt he was distanced away from a harsh reality. Sometimes, he and Drew would put on the pretence that they took the boat to go fishing, when in reality, they actually came to this island to slack off and enjoy the scenery.

"What our stupid tribe members don't know won't hurt them. We'll feed them a couple of lines about how we worked so hard to catch fish, but we were just so close, yet so unsuccessful. They'll believe us." Drew had told James a few days ago.

James had laughed and agreed with him. He didn't know how to describe the short and mysterious Pokemon Coordinator, but there was definitely something unique about Drew. Every time he spoke, he talked with such a colossal confidence in himself, yet he timed his words carefully so he wouldn't sound like a blubbering idiot either. James could sense that Drew was different from the rest of his tribe members. And because of that, James could relate to Drew. James didn't trust Drew well enough to confide his secrets to him, but out of everybody in Huntail, Drew was the only person he could remotely tolerate.

But right now, James didn't want to talk to anybody, not even Drew. He just needed to be alone in a place where he wouldn't be disturbed. He needed this island all by himself, so he could recollect and unscramble the messy chains of thoughts in his head.

_**James: **When you're like me and you spend all of your time alone, you…you start thinking about everything. I constantly think about my strategic position in the game. Things aren't looking too optimistic for me! I think I'm in a precarious position right now, mostly because I'm not on the best of terms with Brock. I clashed with him on multiple occasions and a few days ago, he blamed me for doing something that I didn't even do! Of course, nobody believes me. I'm used to it._

He sighed deeply, looking very troubled.

_**James:** Anyway, I really don't know how I could survive any longer on this tribe. I was hoping that TK's injury would make him a liability in challenges, but he's actually doing pretty well despite his condition. And you know, that's a really bad thing – well, it's a good thing because TK's leg is recovering and I'm happy for him, but at the same time, this is bad news for me. There's no reason for them to keep me around._

Strategy was not the only thing that James pondered about. Sometimes, he reminisced about his past, his friends, and his rocky, adventurous life. Sometimes, he thought about the more mundane things in life, like that soap opera show he's an avid fan of or that bottle cap collection he started since he was a little child. And sometimes, James wondered if his tribe members would miss him if he was gone (he hoped they did).

Meanwhile, the rest of the tribe was just waking up and everybody was carrying on their usual routine. Brock and May were preparing breakfast for the tribe, while JP energetically entertained Huntail with a few jokes every now and then. Sitting beside his friend on a log, TK felt a bit flustered that he couldn't jog around the island this morning, but he carried a bright and optimistic smile on his face nonetheless. He was just thankful that his wounded leg was slowly recovering.

"What's for breakfast this morning, Brock? Something smells as delicious as the breads in my dad's bakery!" Takato asked cheerfully.

"The usual," replied Brock. He grinned. "You know, the good stuff."

"I don't care what kind of food it is. I'll chow down anything that my body could digest!" JP laughed, rubbing his stomach for emphasis.

Drew forced a weak, insincere smile on his face. He moved his hand through his hair and flipped it over his shoulder.

"Hey, where's James?" Drew suddenly asked.

The tribe stopped what they're doing as they turned their heads and looked around. Judging from the puzzling expressions on everybody's faces, it seemed like this was the first time that they even noticed the absence of a certain Team Rocket member.

"Oh wow, ha ha!" JP began chuckling. "I didn't even notice that James isn't here!"

"Now that you mention about it," said TK as he scratched his head. "James wasn't in the shelter when I woke up…"

"Do you think he's okay? He's not hurt or anything, right?" May asked, looking concerned.

"He's fine, he's fine." JP said dismissively as a goofy smile crept across his face. "James is a man. He can take care of himself."

"Wherever James went, he took the motorboat with him," said Brock, pointing his direction at where the boat originally was.

"May be he took the boat to go fishing?" Takato suggested.

"I hope you're right…" May said uncertainly, gazing at a distance and hoping to catch a sign of the motorboat in the vast blue sea.

_**May: **This morning, we discovered that James wasn't in the shelter when we woke up. Uh…we figured that nothing probably happened to him, but it sure gave me quite the scare. I don't understand why he would just leave like that without even informing one of us. He just disappeared from our camp as if he never existed, and it's amazing that none of us really noticed his absence until Drew brought it up._

May weakly smiled at the cameras.

_**May: **That really got me thinking, because this incident showed me that Huntail could function just as well, if not better, without James' presence. I mean, if we don't even know that he was missing for such a long time, may be it doesn't make a huge difference if he's on our tribe or not. _

She started rubbing her chin with her index finger.

_**May: **Huntail is a close-knitted tribe. The six of us get along with each other and it's almost like we're a family. James is like the misfit who doesn't really belong in this family. He's like the distant uncle that never visits in family reunions. He just doesn't fit in. I hate to say this, but if we lose an immunity challenge, he's probably the easiest person to get rid of in tribal council. Sorry, James._

- - -

Hunger was becoming an issue in the Gorebyss tribe. Mimi might have been an exceptional chef, but she could only work with very limited resources. Every meal consisted of tasteless rice, mushy corn, sour apple slices and occasionally, an overcooked bird. Meal after meal, they ate the same thing. No matter how many different combinations Mimi tried to invent, the quality of their food was always less than desirable. As of result, Gorebyss never got to enjoy a truly fulfilling meal.

To make matters worse, Mimi found out that they were running low on their corn supply this morning.

"We should've conserved and rationed our food a bit more carefully…" Mimi muttered as she sat down in front of the campfire. She leaned her arm on Casey's shoulder for support.

"Does this mean that we're going to have to eat apple slices for both breakfast _and_ lunch?" Casey asked in a very helpless voice.

"Don't worry, Casey!" Mimi smiled, squeezing the petite baseball fanatic under her arm. "Look on the bright side, you know, think of this as a diet! Look at me…I think I lost the extra five pounds that I didn't want when I first came here!"

_**Casey:** If there ever is a food reward challenge, I'll do everything to make sure my tribe wins it because I'm…I'm starving. None of our bodies can function well on an empty stomach. The reason why Gorebyss keeps losing so badly is because we aren't well-fed. How can we compete against the other tribe when we barely have any energy to move ourselves? We need fooooood!_

On the surface, Takuya and Rika were supposed to retrieve this morning's tree-mail for the upcoming reward challenge, but they were actually enjoying themselves a couple slices of pepperoni pizza and pop. This morning, Mimi announced that their breakfast consisted of only three apples. Needless to say, Takuya knew that he needed some extra food to energize himself for the challenges. Unbeknownst to the women of Gorebyss, he hid a secret stash of food somewhere in the forest. Every morning, he and Rika used the excuse of retrieving treemail in order to sneak off to the forest and fill up their stomachs.

After they finished their _real_ breakfast, Takuya and Rika went to retrieve the treemail. Normally, there would be a brief announcement about an upcoming reward challenge, but it was different this time. When Takuya removed the tiny scroll of parchment from Wingull's beak, he was surprised to discover that there will be _no_ reward challenge today.

Instead, a twist was going to occur.

"Congratulations on making it to Day Thirteen! The second twist of this game is about to take place," said Takuya as he read the text on the page out loud. "If the _leader_ that was chosen on Day One has not been voted off from your tribe, send him or her to meet with Professor Birch for further instructions." Takuya paused and then read the little subscript at the bottom of the page. "P.S. There will be a feast."

"So, you'll be participating in the twist," muttered Rika.

"Alright!" Takuya pumped his fist enthusiastically in the air. "Forget the stupid twist. All I'm looking forward to is the _feast_."

"Listen, this twist is going to affect the structure of the tribes somehow. I can just…sense it." Rika crossed her arms across her chest and scowled. "You need to be serious and use this opportunity to your advantage."

A boyish grin spread across Takuya's face.

"Yeah, I know." Takuya laughed. He began shaking his hips from left to right in a momentum. "Hopefully, there'll be a huge _shake-up_ in the tribes!"

"When you see May, please do her a favour and stop being such a dumbass." Rika shook her head slowly and sighed.

"Screw you, Rika!" Takuya shouted in mock anger. He playfully shook his fist at her. "Kidding, kidding! Don't hurt me!"

"Hey, goggle-head." Rika didn't seem to be amused at his antics. In a rare moment, Rika wore a certain look of uncertainty on her normally emotionless face. "You'll come back, right?"

"Of course I will!" Takuya raised an eyebrow. "Nothing is going to happen to me."

Rika quietly nodded her head, but said nothing. Suddenly, Takuya stretched out both of his arms in front of her. She looked up at her partner with a puzzled face.

"What the hell are you doing, goggle-head?" Rika asked in surprise. She immediately jumped back a few steps, distancing herself away from Takuya.

"C'mon, give me a friendly farewell hug." Takuya grinned boyishly. "You know you miss me."

"Leave _now_ before I seriously hurt you." Rika growled.

Takuya laughed and retracted his hands, shoving them back into his pockets. He turned around and began jogging away. Takuya was running away from her, running away from the women, running away from the Gorebyss tribe. With a small scowl on her face, Rika watched the athletic Huntail leader run away in a distance, until she could no longer see him behind the trees.

He was gone.

_**Rika: **Nobody knows what to expect from this twist, but I've a feeling that it will change the dynamics of the current tribes. I don't know if I trust goggle-head to make any smart or rational decisions, but hopefully…he won't mess things up too badly._

After Takuya left to meet with Professor Birch, Rika decided to go hunt in the forest by herself. But she was unpleasantly surprised when Cassidy wanted to join her on today's hunting expedition. If Rika had a choice, she preferred to work alone. Sometimes, when she was in a sociable mood, she might choose to join Takuya as they trek around the forest. But for the most part, Rika didn't like to surround herself with people, especially people she had no respect for. However, Cassidy was persistent and she followed Rika around whether the Tamer liked it or not.

"So, this is where you hang out everyday?" Cassidy asked curiously, looking up at a tall and brooding tree.

"I don't _hang out_." Rika said sternly. "I hunt."

"Right, right…same difference," said Cassidy dismissively, sounding a bit annoyed. She played around with a wooden arrow in her hand. "How's the hunting coming along?"

"It's okay." Rika simply replied.

Cassidy slowly nodded her head. She was struggling to find another subject to prolong this brief conversation. Rika wasn't helping matters. She was walking a few steps in front of Cassidy, clearly hinting that she didn't want to be disturbed.

"You know what, Rika? Your name has been tossed in the air for a couple of votes, especially by Mimi. But I always insisted that we should keep you around, because you're a hard worker and I appreciate that." Cassidy said, grinning widely like a menacing shark. She found these words funny because it was very rare for the Team Rocket member to be complimenting someone other than herself. "But the thing is…you're not helping things at all. In fact, you're making it worse."

Rika stopped walking and turned around. Like always, she wore an emotionless expression on her face.

"What do you want?" Rika asked.

"I'd like to keep you around, but you're being way too quiet. Besides Takuya, you hardly interact with any of us at all." Cassidy explained. A dainty smirk appeared on her face. "How can you expect to do well in this game if you don't even socialize with your tribe members?"

An ultra-competitive woman like Cassidy had not only high standards for herself, but also for other people. Because of that, Cassidy always had a difficult time _liking_ anybody in this game. She hated Suzie because the perky girl was too stupid and naïve. She hated Zoe because the beautiful blonde was too fake and sickeningly sweet. She hated Delia because the single homemaker was too weak and useless. Cassidy hated so many different types of people that sometimes, one have to wonder if the feisty Team Rocket member liked _anybody_ at all.

If there was one type of people that Cassidy actually liked, it was hard-working people. She only respected those people who had strong work ethics, people who contribute to the tribe, people who do their fair share of work around camp – people like Rika Nonaka.

_**Cassidy: **Looking at a person's work ethics is a great example of seeing how this person will fare in the game. Hell, it can tell you how a person will live their life in general. Let me tell you something, I didn't get where I am at the Team Rocket organization by being a lazy slacker. I worked my ass off day and night to please the boss in order to become the executive member that I am today. My hard work paid off and I deserve everything good that's happening to me._

She smirked smugly at the cameras.

_**Cassidy: **Rika is like me in many ways. She's a hard worker and she doesn't take shit from anybody. Yeah, the chick is okay. I'd like to keep her on my tribe because she knows how to hunt and she brings back a lot of food to our tribe. If we can rely on her as the sole provider in our tribe, we'd no longer need to depend on that little punk, Takuya. That's fantastic because quite frankly, Takuya annoys the hell out of me!_

"In this tribe, there are a few people who just like to hear themselves talk, even when most of the words coming out of their mouths are crap," muttered Rika. She flashed an impassive glare at Cassidy. "I'd rather keep my mouth shut and only speak when I've something intelligent to say."

"If you're talking about Mimi, then I've to agree with you." Cassidy laughed.

Rika turned around and began to walk again.

"I wasn't just talking about Mimi," said Rika.

"You've got guts to say that." Cassidy narrowed her eyes menacingly at the back of Rika's head. "But I like that kind of fire in a person."

"I don't understand one thing. If you find Mimi so annoying and lazy, why didn't you vote her off earlier?" Rika asked.

The wide smirk on Cassidy's face slowly faded away.

"I've my reasons," replied Cassidy. Rika didn't reply back. She just kept on walking ahead of the Team Rocket member without saying another word.

Cassidy had too much face to admit this in front of the cameras, but there was a very simple explanation why she kept Mimi Gorebyss despite her many weaknesses: Mimi was her friend. Mimi was a friend who Cassidy could confide in, a friend who Cassidy could bitch to, a friend who Cassidy could strategize with. Ever since Butch got voted off, Cassidy had lost the only friend she had outside of the game. And since then, she longed for a companion who would be able to ease her loneliness. In a sense, Mimi became her substitute for Butch.

It was difficult to imagine somebody as confident as Cassidy would feel insecure about herself, but she was only a human being, after all. People seek companionship as a method to escape from their loneliness and isolation. Cassidy could put on a front as the authoritative, ruthless and spiteful dictator in front of the cameras, but even she couldn't deny the forces of human nature.

Even Cassidy needed a friend.

- - -

With six men living on the same tribe, it was obvious that Huntail would be a tribe packed with macho testosterone. In front of May, the men all appeared to be courteous and polite gentlemen, but she would be surprised to hear how much the conversations changed without her presence. In a way, this tribe could be described appropriately as a stereotypical "guys' locker-room", where the jokes were rowdy and the conversations were crass whenever the boys were left alone by themselves.

This morning, five of the Huntail men sat around the fire as they ate breakfast. James had not returned from wherever he went and May was taking a bath by the river. So naturally, the casual conversation between the five men shifted towards Brock's favourite topic: women.

"I'd be heartbroken if Mimi got voted out of Huntail last night," said Brock, who was wearing a very wide grin on his tanned face. "She's definitely the hottest girl here."

"Dude, are you kidding me?" JP scoffed and shook his head. "How can you think about Mimi when we've May on our tribe? She…she's a bombshell!" He lifted his arms in the air as if to demonstrate a dramatic fact. "Best looking girl in the game, hands down!"

_**TK: **JP has an enormous crush on May. I can see it in his face…his smile really brightens up whenever he's talking about May – how cute she is and what a great personality she has. I don't even think May knows about it, but JP is smitten with her. He's one step away from starting his official fan club for May._

TK coyly smiled at the cameras.

_**TK: **Then again, it's not just him. I think everyone genuinely likes May in our tribe. She's a total sweetheart. May has this endearing, girl-next-door charm about her that makes her very appealing to men. You can't help it, you just have to like her. _

"I'm afraid you've never checked out Mimi's smoking body in the challenges!" Brock sighed dreamily. "She makes my heart go flitter flutter whenever I catch a glimpse of her magnificent beauty…in a swimsuit!"

"I am sure that's not the only part of your body that's going _flitter flutter_," said Drew, smiling. Several of the men laughed at that sardonic remark, including Brock.

"Mimi is too skinny. I can break her body in half like a dead twig." JP stuck out his tongue to express his distaste. "On the other hand, May has the looks, the body _and _the personality. You can't beat the total package!" He turned over to Takato, who was sitting beside him by the fire. "Hey Takato, what do you think? Who's the best looking girl in this game?"

"Well…" Takato smiled bashfully. "May."

"I knew it, Takato! You've got good taste in women, my man!" JP laughed heartily, patting Takato on the back as if to congratulate him. Then, he narrowed his tiny eyes at the goggle-headed boy and lowered his voice into a loud whisper. "But remember, I saw her first!"

It was the playful and nonchalant manner in how JP said the sentence that made the men laugh. However, their laughter abruptly faded away when they saw May striding towards them, returning from her bath by the river. Clad in only a two-piece swimsuit, a piece of crimson red cloth tightly clutched to May's body, showcasing her well-developed physique. She sweetly smiled at the men and waved at them.

"Gentlemen, I rest my case." JP clapped his hands together and grinned.

"What's up, guys?" May asked as she walked towards the men, oblivious to how some of them were gazing fixatedly at her swimsuit. She grabbed a nearby beach towel and wrapped it around her body.

_**JP: **Any man who doesn't see how gorgeous May is must be blind! Not only is she beautiful in the physical sense, May also has a fun personality and a compassionate heart to match with her good looks. Dude, what more could a guy ask for?_

JP grinned widely at the cameras. He tapped his large hand on his chest a few times to emphasize his point.

_**JP: **May resembles what my dream girl looks like. She's so AMAZING!_

"Hey May, a little birdie told me that it's your birthday in a few days, am I right?" JP asked, wearing a goofy smile on his face.

"Yeah," replied May, nodding her head. "I can't believe I'll spend my birthday with you guys! It's going to be _so_ exciting!"

"What an exciting life you must lead." Drew said dryly.

"May, I almost forgot to show you this!" Takato suddenly spoke up, picking up a piece of parchment that he placed by his shoe. "We've got treemail, but uh, it's not a reward challenge."

"Really? What does it say?" May asked.

"It's the second twist," explained Takato. "And since you volunteered to be the leader on Day One, you'll be the representative of Huntail who's going to participate in this twist. I think you need to meet with Professor Birch right away."

"Oh. Oh, wow." May laughed. It took her a few seconds to digest this surprising information in her head. "Oh my god!"

"I'm sure everything will be alright," said Brock sincerely. "I believe in you."

May smiled weakly at her friend and sighed.

"If you have to make a huge decision that affects this entire game, don't panic and just follow what your heart says." Brock continued.

"What if I mess something up and the other tribe gets the advantage? Hey, it could happen…" May shook her head. "Aw, I'm _so_ not ready for this."

- - -

Neither May nor Takuya knew what to expect in this meeting with Professor Birch. Takuya was confident and excited about the upcoming twist, while May had a nervous feeling in her stomach. However, all was forgotten when both of them saw the massive feast laid out on a dining table in the middle. Professor Birch stood at one end of the table, grinning.

"Welcome, Takuya and May!" Professor Birch smiled. "Today will be a very important day. But for now, it's time for you to get to know each other a little bit. Feel free to talk, play, sleep and of course, eat." Takuya laughed as he rubbed his hands together excitedly. Professor Birch gestured his hands to two sleeping tents beside the table. "You'll be spending the night here in individual tents, so you've plenty of time to prepare yourself." He nodded his head. "Without further ado, dig in!"

May and Takuya grinned at each other as they both ran towards the table. Professor Birch wisely got out of the way and left the two leaders alone with the feast. It seemed like Takuya wasted no time throwing as much food into his mouth as possible. He grabbed a chicken wing and took an enormous bite out of it. Meanwhile, May was enjoying a bowl of vegetable soup, happy to have something else to drink beside boiled water.

"Wow, you must be _really_ hungry." May laughed, looking at how Takuya was stuffing his mouth with food in awe.

As Takuya tried to reply, he almost choked with all of the food in his mouth.

"Okay, that was an understatement. You look like you're famished! Are you alright, Takuya?" May asked. Takuya nodded his head quietly as he tried to swallow the huge chunk of chicken in his throat.

"Yeah," said Takuya, nodding. He grinned. "I guess I got too excited when I saw all the food on the table, heh."

"Is the food situation that bad in Gorebyss?" May asked with a concerned smile.

"Seriously, it's so bad that I never want to eat another apple in my entire life again!" Takuya replied while May burst out in laughter. "No apple pie, no apple juice, no apple jam, no apple _anything_!"

"I can totally relate to what you're saying!" May grinned. "But to be fair, Brock is an excellent chef. And he does wonders to each meal of ours, even with the limited supplies on this island."

Takuya nodded his head as he took another bite out of the chicken wing.

"And hey, you did win the pizza at the last reward challenge, so at least your tribe had a variety of different foods for a while!" May said, putting her hands on her hips. "We've had nothing!"

"Uh…yeah. My tribe just _loved_ the pizzas." Takuya muttered as he forced a weak smile on his face.

_**May: **A few days ago, I've had a dream when I fantasized about food that didn't really exist. So when I first saw the food on the table, I had to pinch myself to make sure this wasn't a figment of my imagination. But oh my god, the food is real and it tastes SO good! I'm not exaggerating – the food in my mouth was like…melting! I almost didn't want to swallow the food because I wanted to keep the taste in my mouth forever, ha ha!_

"This is _so_ delicious! I almost feel bad that my tribe isn't enjoying this with me." May said as she nibbled on her turkey sandwich.

"The feast almost makes up for having to live in a tribe with seven women for so damn long!" Takuya laughed. He looked at May and smiled. "We deserve this, we really did."

"To be honest, I didn't think I'd even be here on day thirteen. I thought I would have gotten voted off as soon as I was switched over to the men's team!" May returned a sincere smile at Takuya. "But hey, look at us! We're still here!"

"I'll drink to that!" Takuya chuckled, pouring some soda into his mouth.

"So, how is it?" May asked curiously. "Living with seven other women must be pretty tough."

"Let's just say that you got the better end of the deal, May. The women in my tribe have _claws_, man!" Takuya grinned in a jovial manner. "They're ripping my soul away!"

"Well, you've got to give me all the details. I want the scoop," said May giddily.

"You know Cassidy, right?" Takuya asked as May nodded her head. "Well, she's the big bad bitch in Gorebyss and she thinks she's untouchable." He rolled his eyes. "Unfortunately, she _is_ in a position of power, so you can just imagine how bloated her ego must be by now!"

"Ah, I didn't like the looks of her." May shook her head and made a face. "That's why we voted Butch out first!"

"And then there's Mimi and Casey, Cassidy's blind and brainwashed followers." Takuya continued, angrily pounding his fist on the table. "They're so far up Cassidy's ass that I'm surprised they could even think for themselves without their cult leader telling them what to do. And the way they all gossiped about Zoe behind her back! These women are malicious and catty and…"

Takuya's voice trailed off and he eventually stopped talking. Sitting on the other side of the table, May flashed a small, sympathetic smile at Takuya.

"You aren't happy with your tribe, are you?" May asked quietly.

"No." Takuya sighed. "No, I wished I had a happier experience to share with you, but I don't."

_**Takuya: **My first impression of May is pretty nice. And when I say that, I meant she was really pretty and she was really nice too. It's actually refreshing to talk with such a sweet and sincere girl because we don't have much of those in Gorebyss! I can instantly tell that she doesn't have a malicious bone in her body._

_**Takuya: **When I was talking with May, I felt very relaxed. I ended up telling May almost everything about our tribe – except my secret alliance with Rika, but that's about it. Hey, I had nothing to lose. I mean, I definitely trusted May a whole lot more than some of the women on my tribe._

"If there's any consolation in this, you're so different from what some of the guys in my tribe say about you." May said, smiling sincerely. "They thought you were going to be this arrogant, obnoxious dictator who controlled the Gorebyss tribe with an iron fist."

"I'm sorry, but I don't see how that was supposed to make me feel better…" Takuya laughed.

"Well, I'm just glad you turned out to be a much nicer guy than what they say about you." May quickly added.

"I'd like to think I'm a more complicated guy than I appear to be," said Takuya, grinning. "And hey, just so you know, I think you're a pretty cool chick too. You're _very_ cool."

"Aww…thanks!" May cooed.

Takuya paused for a moment, casting his eyes down at the food on the table. He seemed to be thinking very deeply.

"May, I have a crazy idea." Takuya said. He tossed a brief glance at May for her reaction as he spoke. "What if…what if we made an alliance with each other?"

"The two of us?" May asked, widening her eyes in surprise.

"We don't need to tell anybody in our old tribes. It will be our little _secret_." Takuya's voice grew more confident when he saw that May seemed intrigued by his proposal. "If we happen to be on the same tribe as each other at any point of the game, we'll watch each other's backs."

"An alliance?" May took a sip of soup from her spoon. She laughed, "Hey, I like that idea!"

"Nobody will expect the two leaders from opposing tribes to form an alliance with each other," said Takuya in a persuasive voice. He smiled, for he could see that he was easily winning May over with his charm and charisma. May was already nodding her head to his every word.

"Okay, okay. Let's do it," said May, beaming happily.

"Booyah! May, you and I are gonna _rock_ the game!" Takuya laughed. He took his soda can and raised it high in the air. "Let's toast!"

_**May:** I think I made the right choice to form an alliance with Takuya. I know I'm in an alliance with Takato and Brock already, but it never hurts to have a little bit more security in this game. You know what they say, the more the merrier…_

May's finger was playing with the collar of her shirt as she spoke.

_**May: **Takuya and I talked for a long, long time. I was pleasantly surprised by him, actually. Drew and TK sometimes made jokes about how Takuya was this cocky alpha male, but that must be a guy thing because I didn't get that vibe from him at all. He was very friendly and very energetic about everything. I think he's a great guy and a trustworthy ally. _

Hours passed as May and Takuya shared mundane stories with each other, stories about their ordinary lives outside of this game. May talked about her life as a Pokemon Coordinator and travelling around the world. In return, Takuya exchanged a lengthy summary of his explosive adventures in the Digital World. Neither of them talked much about strategy or the game. A few times, they did wonder about how the upcoming twist will affect the game, but it was purely speculation and they dropped the subject when Professor Birch didn't show up for the rest of the day.

After they ate dinner, May and Takuya finally decided to catch some much needed sleep.

"Goodnight, Takuya!" May smiled sweetly, crawling into her blue tent. "I've had a fun day."

"See ya next morning!" Takuya grinned as he walked towards the red tent.

When Takuya was inside his tent, he was delighted to find that there was a pillow, a mattress and a thin blanket provided. In a spontaneous spur of the moment, he leapt on the mattress happily, squealing with joy. It was then when he first noticed a white envelope on the pillow. No words were written on the envelope, but it seemed obvious that it was directed for him. A curious Takuya ripped the envelope open and two things fell out of it: a pen and a small, rectangular card.

"What the…?" Takuya asked as he picked up the rectangular card. He began reading out loud, "It is time for the second twist! As the leader of the Gorebyss tribe, you have the ability to send one member away to Huntail." An excited grin quickly formed on Takuya's face as he interpreted the words. "In return, the other tribe leader will send one member from the Huntail tribe to Gorebyss."

Takuya pumped his fist energetically in the air. _A switch!_ This twist allowed him to send one tribe member away from Gorebyss and even receive a new tribe member in return!

"However, the tribe member that you choose to send away will also receive an immunity necklace that he or she could use at any tribal council, up until the Final Four. Also, you may also choose to send _yourself_ to the other tribe. Using the provided pen, please write down on the back of the card, the name of the person who will be emancipated from your tribe."

_**Takuya: **Immediately, my first thought was to send Cassidy away. This was the perfect opportunity handed to me on a silver platter! I could break her tyrannous empire in Gorebyss, just like that! But I also knew that if I sent her away, she'd receive an immunity necklace that she could use at any time. I'll basically hand over a massive amount of power to Cassidy and I…I feel so uncomfortable with that. She'll find a way to abuse that kind of power._

He sighed deeply as he looked at the empty card that he held in his hand.

_**Takuya: **Then I thought about it, and I knew another option would be to send myself away. I think I'll be safe on the Huntail tribe. I've an alliance with May and an immunity necklace. Plus, I'd get to reunite with my buddy, JP, and that's always good! After all, I was originally on Huntail, so it's natural for me to switch back to this tribe! This could mean a new beginning, a new fate, a new…revival for me in this game!_

Takuya sighed again, this time he sounded even more troubled and upset than before.

_**Takuya: **But then, I remembered Rika. Unlike me, she's trapped in Gorebyss. As long as Cassidy stays in that tribe, she'd also stay in power. That would make Rika a helpless prisoner in Cassidy's dictatorship, living in a seemingly doomed fate. It's in my best interest to switch over to Huntail, but that would mean I've to abandon Rika all by herself. Can I desert a friend who needs me? On the other hand, can I close the door that will lead me to a new chance of winning the game? _

Takuya was bombarded with those moral and strategic questions for a long time. It took him several hours of debating with his brain and his heart in order to achieve a final decision. At last, Takuya wrote down a name on the back of the card and inserted it into the envelope. Then, out of sheer exhaustion, the athletic Frontier collapsed on his pillow and instantly drifted off to asleep.

When Takuya woke up tomorrow, things were going to change forever.

- - -

**DAY 14**

After a luxurious night of sleep, May woke up feeling fully refreshed and rejuvenated. Her arms were no longer sore and her legs didn't feel groggy anymore. The young girl didn't know how to describe this sensation to the cameras, but she just felt _better_ about herself. And the only way that could make this morning start even better was the prospect of a humungous breakfast. When May climbed out of her tent this morning, she looked forward to filling her stomach with even more delicious food.

Unfortunately, there was no breakfast and there was no food. All May saw was the friendly face of Professor Birch, who was dressed in his usual outdoorsy attire. May sighed a little under her breath, but maintained an optimistic smile on her face as she greeted the professor.

"Good morning!" Professor Birch said jovially. "I hope both of you had a fantastic night of sleep, because things are about to change around here."

"I can't wait!" Takuya exclaimed, clapping his hands together.

"There will be a swap between two players from the opposite tribe." Professor Birch declared, gesturing his hands towards the two leaders. "Last night, the two of you are supposed to choose one person from your tribe and send them away to the opposing tribe." Takuya and May both nodded their heads. "That person's name is contained inside the envelopes that you're holding right now."

"Heh-heh!" Takuya chuckled. The talkative Frontier turned towards May and grinned. "May, how does it feel to hold somebody's destiny in your hands?"

"I'm _really _nervous." May giggled.

"Here's what I want you two to do…" Professor Birch explained. "Exchange envelopes with each other. Do it now."

Takuya and May obeyed as they swapped envelopes with each other. May gulped nervously, looking down at the paper in her hand. This was it. A new tribe member was about to join the Huntail tribe.

"From now on, those two tribe members will stay permanently on their new tribe. They'll also receive an immunity necklace that they could use at any time of the game." Professor Birch explained, nodding his head. "The two of you must now visit the opposite tribe and explain this twist to the players. Once you're at the enemy camp, you'll open the envelope and reveal the name of the person who'll join _your _tribe. That person will gather his or her personal belongings and leave their old tribe immediately. Afterwards, you'll guide that person to where your camp is."

Professor Birch paused, carrying a tiny smirk on his bearded face.

"However…you might have switched yourself to the other tribe," said Professor Birch. "In that case, things will get a little more complicated."

"I bet it would!" Takuya laughed.

"That's about it. Remember to not open the envelopes until you've arrived at camp!" Professor Birch said, "There is a map printed on the envelope, so you do not need to worry about the directions. Other than that, have a safe trip and…" Professor Birch paused. The smile on his face grew slightly wider. "Remember to take advantage of your new situation!"

"So, I guess this is goodbye…" May said sadly, shaking hands with Takuya.

"Good luck, May." Takuya nodded his head, flashing a cheerful grin to May. "Don't forget about deal, okay?"

May nodded her head, which Takuya hoped was an indication that she would honour the alliance that she made with him yesterday.

Hopefully.

_**Takuya: **Yeah, I've thought about joining the Huntail tribe. Are you kidding me? They're such a strong tribe and they're probably ten thousand times nicer than most of the women on my tribe. But…I couldn't abandon Rika in that hellhole all by herself. I couldn't do it. It would be so selfish of me to forget about my ties to her and start a brand new game on the Huntail tribe. That's a coward's move and I, Takuya Kanabara, am not a coward._

He shot a confident look into the cameras, indicating that he was comfortable with the decision that he made last night.

_**Takuya: **I made a promise to Rika. We're going to stick together. And if keeping my loyalty to a good friend is my ultimate downfall in this game, then so be it._

Several hours later, Takuya managed to successfully navigate through the dense forest and arrive at the secluded Huntail camp. Needless to say, everybody was surprised to see the unexpected visitor from the opposing tribe. They were certainly not expecting somebody to arrive from the other tribe! What happened to May?

"Dude, Takuya!" JP was the first to react. He leapt up from his seat and immediately ran towards his goggle-headed friend. "_Dude_! What are you doing here?"

"Greetings, Huntail!" Takuya grinned stupidly as he scanned the shocked expressions on everybody's faces. "My name is Takuya and I come in peace."

"What's going on?" Brock asked, looking very confused.

"No worries! This is just part of the twist!" Takuya announced, still grinning.

A few tribe members exchanged nervous glances with each other. Drew crossed his arms in a stiff manner. He didn't like the idea of a twist that involved Takuya as the center of attention.

"You're not joining our tribe, are you?" Drew asked pessimistically. _Please no! _He added as an afterthought in his head. The Pokemon Coordinator wanted nothing to do with that abrasive goggle-head whom he always despised. He wasn't the only person who shared this thought.

"Nah! That's too out there, man!" Takuya laughed, shaking his head dismissively. "Although I've got to hand it to you guys, Huntail is a successful tribe! You keep kicking our asses in every challenge so far!"

"Dude, we _know _that we rock!" JP laughed. He walked forward and slapped a high-five with his friend Takuya.

_**Drew: **Just like I've expected, Takuya acted like a complete idiot when he first arrived at our camp. He suddenly comes out of nowhere and we're all looking at him like he's an unwanted intruder, but the boy just doesn't get it. He just stood there as dumb as a log, wearing that shit-eating grin on his face and not telling any of us what was going on._

He smirked at the cameras, flipping his slick green hair over his shoulder.

_**Drew: **I'm not surprised that Takuya and JP got along with each other. They definitely have something in common: they're both as dumb as a bag of rocks! In fact, there are so many rocks between the two of them…I bet Brock could start his own damn gym around here._

"It's just so awesome to see you around here." JP grinned excitedly. "Takuya, how's it going?"

"Actually…I'm a bit hungry." Takuya smiled, rubbing his stomach. "They didn't feed us breakfast this morning, so I've been walking on an empty stomach the entire morning."

"I think we've some leftovers from breakfast." Brock said, looking back at the pots and pans that were scattered behind him. He flashed a confused smile at Takuya. "Wait here, I could fix you something."

A grateful Takuya thanked the Pokemon Breeder, who jogged back to the campfire to prepare a bowl of leftovers for their new visitor. Brock didn't know what was going on, but it never hurt to be friendly towards everybody.

"Is May coming back?" Takato asked the question that was on everybody's mind.

"May be. May be not." Takuya shrugged his shoulders, making an uncertain gesture with his hand. "Anyway, that's not why I'm here…"

"Please tell _us._ Why are you here?" TK asked impatiently. By now, the blonde was growing a bit frustrated with Takuya, who reminded him of another similar goggle-head that TK wasn't too crazy about in real life.

Takuya grinned obnoxiously.

"Last night, May and I had the opportunity to send somebody away from our original tribe to a new tribe." He explained. A few tribe members gasped in surprise. "May wrote down the name of that person inside this envelope and that person will now join the Gorebyss tribe."

James widened his eyes in surprise. Could this be it? Could this twist be his escape route from Huntail?

"What?" JP clasped his hands over his mouth. "Whoa, that's so crazy!"

"I know, I know." Takuya laughed. He ripped open the envelope. "But yeah, don't shoot the messenger. I'm just here to take the person who's going to be on the Gorebyss tribe."

Takato nervously swallowed, fearing that he would be the one who was selected to go to the other tribe. He loved it here on the Huntail tribe. He didn't want to leave.

"And the person who May picked to send away is…"

Takuya pulled the card inside of the envelope. There was only one name written on that card.

"James."

Everybody turned their heads towards the tall and slender man, who was standing at the back of the pack. He was there the entire time, but nobody had noticed him because he was just so quiet. James smiled awkwardly as he stepped up to Takuya.

"I guess…it's me." James said. He put a sad smile on his face. "I'm the reject of Huntail."

"Don't say it like that, James…" Takato muttered. He glanced over at Brock, who was jogging back with a bowl of mushy corn in his muscular hands.

"Hey Takuya, I've got your breakfast right here…" Brock smiled confidently. He handed the bowl of food to the Frontier. "So, what happened when I wasn't here?"

"Well, James is now an official member of the Gorebyss tribe." Takuya reported. He dug his left hand into his pants pocket and pulled out a crimson red buff. He dropped it in James' hand. "Oh yeah…here's your buff, James."

"Oh." Brock muttered, putting his hands on his hips. He didn't let any emotions escape from his stern face. "That's just too bad."

"Let's get going then. We don't have the whole day." James said in a quiet voice. He immediately tied his red buff around his neck like a fashion item. His old and forgotten Huntail buff was somewhere inside the shelter. James had hardly worn that buff.

"You're right…it's a really long hike and we should leave before it gets dark." Takuya nodded his head, grinning. "Goodbye, Huntail. And thanks for breakfast, Brock!"

"No problem. Have a safe trip! Bye!" Brock smiled, almost a little too eagerly.

There was not a lot of commotion as Takuya and James disappeared into the thick forest, not once turning back to look at the Huntail tribe. Although Takuya felt that this was supposed to be an important turning point in the game, the farewell was dull and uninspired. There were no farewell hugs. There were no farewell handshakes. There were no emotions. Only Takato and TK politely said goodbye, while the others just stood there, watching silently as James departed from the Huntail camp.

For a tribe that seemed so strongly unified from the outside, Takuya didn't understand the sheer iciness of this situation.

It was almost as if the Huntail tribe never cared about James at all…

- - -

Ever since the first day, Rika stood out in the Gorebyss tribe like a sore thumb. No matter what way she looked it, she just didn't fit in with anybody in this tribe. For starters, Gorebyss was consisted of incessantly noisy and talkative tribe members, including Takuya. But Rika had always been a quiet person who spoke very little. Being put on a tribe where the people thrived on endless conversations was her biggest nightmare. The constant talking, chattering, bitching and yapping were enough to give Rika perpetual headache. On some days, the situation was so bad that Rika just wanted to tell all of them to shut up.

Today was one of those days.

Ever since Takuya left, the chatty Cassidy hadn't stopped talking. She was in good spirits today due to the absence of a certain goggle-head from their tribe. Mimi and Casey joined in the conversation of course, just like the obedient lapdogs that Rika always thought they were. The quiet Tamer tried to isolate herself from them as much as possible, stating that she wasn't interested in talking about mindless matters like fashion or guys (both of which were Mimi's favourite topics). Instead, Rika chose to disappear in the forest for many consecutive hours. She didn't care where she was, as long as she didn't have to be stuck with those bimbo women.

"Ugh, I can't stand Rika!" Mimi vented to Cassidy and Casey as the three women prepared breakfast together. She stuck her tongue out like a little child. "She's _so_ crabby and miserable!"

"I don't think I've seen her ever smile before," added Casey.

"Takuya could at least pretend to be friendly when he's in a good mood, but Rika is just _impossible_. I just give up on her. Seriously, I'd really like to vote Rika off before Takuya!" Mimi hissed. She glanced at Cassidy for reassurance. "Do you think that's a good idea, Cass?"

"Hell no!" Cassidy snapped. "That's a stupid idea. We know Rika couldn't talk her way out of a paper bag, so there's no way that she would form an alliance with the opposite tribe. As long as Takuya isn't there to open his big flap and make deals with Huntail, Rika will stay loyal to Gorebyss all the way."

"Hmm, that's a good point." Mimi muttered, shrugging her shoulders. "Oh well, it was just a suggestion."

"Hey, is someone coming?" Casey asked, turning her head towards the direction of the forest. "Umm…is that Takuya?"

"No…I think that's May!" Mimi gasped in astonishment.

May smiled nervously at the three women as she approached. Mimi leapt up with a huge smile on her face, embracing May in a friendly and sincere hug.

"Hi, May! It's so nice to see you here!" Mimi said brightly, albeit she was a bit confused at May's presence in this tribe. "But um, excuse me for my bluntness…why are you here?"

"There's a funny story about that…" May began, but she shook her head. "Actually, I'm here to announce the second twist in the game. Takuya sent one person to be a permanent tribe member on the Huntail tribe. I'm here to supposedly bring that person to my tribe."

"Wow." Casey said, looking impressed.

"Yeah, so…uh, let's see who he picked!" May said, tearing open the envelope in her hand. She pulled out the tiny rectangular card and read the name that Takuya had written.

_**Mimi: **When May told us about the twist, my head was just like, spinning! I tried to keep a brave face, but inside, I was begging to the Survivor gods to please not let it be me. I didn't want to go to the other tribe all by myself! I'm so weak and worthless in challenges, I know I wouldn't have a prayer on Huntail. At that moment, my entire game flashed in front of my eyes and I realize…this twist is horrible._

May looked up at the three women's faces with an uneasy smile on her face.

"Um...Cassidy, you're now a member of the Huntail tribe."

What followed the announcement was an extremely long moment of shocked silence. The three women glared at May in disbelief.

"This is awful!" Mimi cried, burying her face in her petite hands.

"You can't take Cassidy away from us!" Casey added, yelling as well.

"I'm sorry, but that's what I've to do. Welcome to Huntail, Cassidy." May glanced at the two girls uncomfortably. She handed a blue buff to Cassidy, which she refused to take and let it drop on the ground.

"Bullshit. This is bullshit." Cassidy shook her head. She kicked her foot in the sand like a frustrated child not getting what she wanted on Christmas. "I should have known that he would get rid of me the first chance he got!"

"Cassidy…" Casey said meekly. She looked at the Team Rocket member in fright.

"Damn it. Damn Takuya. Damn him." Cassidy growled, forming a fist in her right hand. She snatched the red buff away from May's hand.

"Um, you also get to receive an immunity necklace that you could use at any time…" May said, struggling to draw the words out of her mouth. This scene was more emotional than she had anticipated.

Cassidy raised her eyebrows, but did not ask May to elaborate on that. Mimi and Casey looked far too upset to even notice what May just said.

"Alright girls, I have to go." Cassidy said, glancing at Mimi and Casey. "But here's what I want you to do…"

Mimi was unintelligibly mumbling the word 'no' over and over, but Cassidy ignored her.

"Befriend whoever's coming over from the Huntail tribe. Form an alliance with him," said Cassidy, unconsciously including May into this conversation. "If you lose another challenge, the three of you have to stick together and vote Takuya or Rika off. Got that?"

"Alright girls, I have to go. But here's what I want you to do…befriend whoever's coming over from the Huntail tribe and form an alliance with him." Cassidy turned towards Mimi and Casey, unconsciously including Rika in this conversation. "If you lose another challenge, the three of you have to stick together. Got that?"

"Yes…we will remember!" Mimi muttered, wiping the tears that were dripping from her eyes.

"Good." Cassidy said emotionlessly. She turned towards May and nodded her head once. "Who did you send from the Huntail tribe to here?"

"Uh…James," replied May.

_**May:** I wanted to make a decision on what's best for our tribe, so that's why I chose James to go over to Huntail. Even though TK might be a liability in physical challenges, he's such a pleasant guy who adds a lot to the tribe morale. And then there's Drew, who I think is very shady and gives me this uneasy feeling that he's up to no good. But in the end, James is the outsider in our tribe. He's the one who weakens Huntail the most. He has to go._

May smiled uncertainly at the cameras. She put both of her hands on her knees as she talked.

_**May: **Nobody really likes James and I'm pretty sure he doesn't like any of us either. If there's somebody who is making our tribe's morale less pleasant, it's him. So yes, James is the person who I picked to send over to the Gorebyss tribe. I can't say that any of us will miss him a lot. Hopefully, this decision will not cause too many divisions in our tribe._

With May leading the way, the two Huntail tribe members began walking into the brooding forest as they headed back to camp. Casey and Mimi stood alone next to each other, looking uncertain at what to do without Cassidy.

"Bye, Cassidy!" Casey said, waving. "We'll see you soon!"

"Be careful, Cass!" Mimi cried hysterically.

Cassidy took one last glance at the Gorebyss camp. This was the tyrannous empire that she worked so hard to build for the past two weeks, but now, she was forced to abandon her palace. She had no other choice but to leave her two allies in the dust and reluctantly join a new tribe. Cassidy was no longer a Gorebyss member and it was no longer a part of her.

Although she did not know at that time, this was the last time that Cassidy would ever see the Gorebyss camp ever again.

- - -

Brock and Takato stood outside of the entrance of the forest, anxiously waiting for the return of their ally, May. After Takuya's ominous declaration of the twist, Takato was a little worried about the arrival of a new tribe member. His foot tapped on the ground impatiently. The petite Tamer was never good at waiting.

"Who do you think Takuya sent from his tribe, Brock?" Takato asked.

"I don't know. Having any woman from the other tribe is wonderful, but I hope we're lucky enough to get Mimi." Brock grinned, holding two fingers in his muscular hand. "I'm crossing my fingers!"

Takato smiled softly as he turned his gaze back into the forest. A tiny voice in his heart hoped that it would be Rika who joined the Huntail tribe, although he did not know how the unsociable Tamer would bode in this tribe.

_Rika would butt heads with everyone here. It's probably best if she stayed on her old tribe. _Takato thought to himself.

_**Brock: **I'm pleased with May's decision to send James away from our tribe, because he's the person who caused all the unnecessary drama in our tribe. Without him around, I predict that we'll be even a stronger tribe than before. Actually, I'd want James to say on our tribe so I could vote him off, but either way, his time in this game is due._

A while later, May and Cassidy walked out of the forest together, neither of them speaking to each other. Cassidy still looked like she was fuming after being swapped to a new tribe by Takuya and May looked relieved to be finally out of the forest. She smiled awkwardly at Brock and Takato, waving at the two men as they ran towards her.

"Hey! Welcome back!" Takato beamed brightly at the two women. "You're Cassidy, right?"

"Yeah." Cassidy nodded her head, forcing a weak and civil smile on her pointed face. "I'm a Huntail member now."

"You're going to love it here, Cassidy! We're the _winning _tribe." Takato laughed. Soon afterwards, Brock and May joined in as well. Meanwhile, Cassidy had to use every muscle in her body to suppress from rolling her eyes in front of the laughing trio.

"C'mon ladies!" The two of you must be hungry." Brock smiled, putting his hand around the two women's shoulders. "I'll make dinner early today."

"Did you eat a lot of food at the feast, May?" Takato asked giddily.

"Oh yeah!" May laughed. "You wouldn't believe all of the food that was available on the table. I wished I could've packed some of it for you guys, but they wouldn't allow us to bring leftovers. Sorry guys."

"Ah, that's alright!" Brock grinned. He looked up at Cassidy with a goofy smile. "Since there are now two beautiful women on our tribe, I'll make sure that you're both fed like queens!"

"Oy…don't make me pull your ear, Brock!" May laughed, playfully hitting Brock on the shoulder.

"Where are the other tribe members?" Cassidy asked, searching desperately for somebody else to talk to on this tribe.

"I think they're sitting in the shelter. I bet they'd love to meet you, Cassidy." Takato smiled naively at the feisty Team Rocket member.

"Oh boy, I can't wait!" Cassidy feigned enthusiasm in her sarcastic voice.

_**Cassidy: **I hate it here in Huntail. Takato and Brock must be the two most insufferable men I've ever met in my life. Sure, they're nice and they smile a lot, but they're so damn bland and boring! I thought they would make me hold hands with everyone and sing Kumbaya by the campfire. Help me…this place is crushing my soul! I need to go back to Gorebyss. Damn Takuya. Damn him!_

She angrily pounded her palm with her fist.

_**Cassidy: **But now that I'm stuck on this tribe, I've to make the best out of this atrocious situation. Everybody on Huntail has tight friendships with each other and two days isn't a lot to fit into a new tribe that I have nothing in common with. If I've to go to tribal council any time soon, I'll definitely use my immunity necklace to save my ass._

As soon as Cassidy arrived at the Huntail tribe, she knew that she needed an ally. Brock, May and Takato were out of the question, since Cassidy couldn't stand five minutes hanging out with those goody-two-shoes. No, Cassidy needed somebody whose mind was in the game, somebody who was cunning enough to strategize and plot with her, somebody who shared the same determination to win as her. Somebody like Drew.

The two of them first met with each other inside the tribe's shelter, where Cassidy was unpacking her personal belongings. To her surprise, Drew showed up at the shelter and he appeared to more than willing to talk with Cassidy before she even approached him for an alliance. Since everybody else had dispersed elsewhere on the island in their tiny little cliques, Drew and Cassidy were the only people in the shelter. Drew was a smart guy. He knew a good alliance opportunity when he saw one.

"Tell me what happened in your tribe's first tribal council." Cassidy asked, folding her arms across her chest. "I had that weak little boy with the goggles pegged to go first. Why did somebody like Drew get voted off?"

"It's very simple. Brock led a crusade against Butch. That poor guy never stood a chance." Drew said, smirking. He conveniently left out the part that it was he was one of the major catalyst that switched allegiance at tribal council, which caused Butch to get voted off.

"Hell no! It is on!" Cassidy raised her left fist in the air and snapped her fingers. "Oh, somebody is going to pay for this shit!"

"Brock has been in power ever since." Drew added. "He doesn't even try to hide his alliance with Takato and May. Everybody knows about it."

"I can instantly tell those three had an alliance." Cassidy cackled.

"They're very transparent players," said Drew casually.

"Unfortunately, Brock doesn't realize that his alliance only has three members. There are four of us who are _not _his allies." Cassidy sneered, turning towards Drew. "You know what that means?"

"Brock's days are numbered." Drew smirked.

"You're a smart kid. Very cool." Cassidy nodded her head in satisfaction. She turned away and glared directly into a nearby camera. "Don't worry, Butch. I'm here to avenge for you! By the time I'm through with this tribe, they'll regret ever writing your name on the parchment!"

_**Drew: **I lied to Cassidy when she wanted to know why Butch was voted off. I told her that it was Brock who led the whole tribe against Butch in tribal council and she believed it. That's true to a certain degree, but anybody who watches this show will know it is I who masterfully manoeuvre his ouster in the game. Of course, Cassidy doesn't need to know about that little detail. What she doesn't know won't hurt her._

Drew snickered, seemingly amused with himself as he spoke.

_**Drew: **All I need to do is keep fuelling on Cassidy's anger and she'll eventually act on her rage. She knows that Brock's alliance needs to be broken apart. Trust me on this…that day will come very, very soon._

- - -

Rika didn't find out about the twist until shortly after James and Takuya arrived at the Gorebyss camp. At first, she was a little surprised that the three harpies weren't in the middle of their usual gossiping around the campfire. But as she soon found out from Takuya, Cassidy was no longer a part of Gorebyss. She was no longer a part of Rika's life. And that news made Rika uncharacteristically happy.

"She's gone. She's really gone," muttered Rika.

"We should host a celebration around a bonfire or something. Don't they usually do that when a bad curse is removed from a tribe or something?" Takuya joked.

_**Rika: **Cassidy's reign of terror in the Gorebyss is over. Mimi and Casey are now two headless chickens scrambling around in frantic panic. They're so scared that nobody will be there to tell them what to do anymore. The whole tribe dynamics changed drastically in less than twenty four hours. I couldn't have written a better script myself._

"Your tribe is really nice! It's much nicer than I pictured it to be," said James as he looked around the camp. "The guys over at Huntail thought your shelter would be battered and you wouldn't even be able to get a fire started." He paused, shrugging. "As you could tell, they didn't think very highly of you guys."

"We've something in common," said Rika in a deadpan voice. "I don't think very highly of Gorebyss either."

Takuya snickered, putting an arm around James' shoulder.

"That's Rika, the most cynical person I've ever met in my life. And I do mean that in the most flattering way as possible," whispered Takuya.

Rika glared at the goggle-head, grumbling angrily under her breath.

"We got a good trade, don't you think? James is definitely an improvement over Cassidy." Takuya grinned, clapping his hands together.

"I love it here already." James smiled modestly at Takuya as he scratched his head.

"Hey, where's Mimi and Casey? Aren't they going to meet the newest member of our tribe?" Takuya asked.

"They're in mourning." Rika sneered. She motioned her thumb towards the shelter. "You can visit Cassidy's funeral service inside the shelter."

"Oh man! Those girls are probably weeping now that their cult leader is gone!" Takuya snorted in laughter.

"On the way to camp, Takuya told me how bad it was when Cassidy was here." James said.

"Picture what I say and then make it ten thousand times worse," said Takuya with a mordant chuckle.

"Mimi and Casey must be scared shitless that they can't ride on Cassidy's coattails anymore," said Rika.

"And _who_ do you have to thank for that?" Takuya grinned, running his hand through his bushy brown hair.

He walked up to Rika and gave her an enthusiastic high-five. James looked at the two of them with a slightly puzzled expression on his face.

_**James: **I don't know…Casey and Mimi are probably not as bad as Takuya makes them out to be. I like him, but he tends to exaggerate things a lot. I know both Takuya and Rika absolutely despise the women in Gorebyss, but I think I should get to know my tribe members a little better before I make a judgment on their characters._

Later that evening, the tribe of five gathered around for dinner, enjoying yet another meal cooked by Mimi. By now, everybody had met James and they all welcomed him with open arms. James didn't know if they genuinely cared about him or if they were just feigning fake interest in order to win his affection. But at least they _cared _about him, which was more than anything that James could say about the people on Huntail.

"James, I want to know what happened in your old tribe! Tell us more, tell us more!" Mimi smiled softly at the new Team Rocket member on her tribe.

James beamed happily at the talkative brunette. As the new and enigmatic member of the Gorebyss tribe, it was no surprise that the conversation at dinner quickly focused on him. James loved being flattered by this type of attention.

"My old tribe was horrible to me. They…they all hated my guts." James said sadly. "I got into a confrontation with almost everybody on the tribe except Drew." He gave a small chuckle. "Actually, he might be the only person who I kind of liked on that tribe."

"Aww…" Mimi cooed, patting him on the shoulder. "Nobody should go through what you have to go through, James."

"I was in a similar situation on Gorebyss, you know…it was just a few days ago." Takuya said, grinning stupidly. "Rika was the only person who I could remotely tolerate on this tribe."

Mimi shot a spiteful glare at Takuya's direction, but she quickly covered it with an overly sweet smile on her face.

"Is that so, Takuya?" Mimi asked. "You and Rika don't really get along with a lot of people on our tribe. May be that's why the two of you always hang out with each other in the forest."

"That's because some of us makes life a living hell," said Takuya, narrowing his eyes at the brunette with disdain.

"Really? I didn't get that feeling at all. Everything has been _peachy_!" Mimi said enthusiastically.

"Don't try to pretend you're an angel, Mimi." Takuya spitted his words out angrily. "Remember some of the things you said about Zoe?"

"Zoe got everything that she deserved. She didn't bother trying to know any of us." Casey piped in.

"She was too busy flirting with Takuya to notice any of us," added Mimi. She turned towards James and whispered, "Just so you know, the two of them had a fling."

"I didn't know about that! It sounds interesting…" James said.

Takuya glanced over at Rika for support, but she was just quietly observing this conversation without adding her two cents in. Feeling a bit frustrated that he had to battle this verbal argument alone, he turned away and searched in the air for a retort against Mimi.

"James, you have to know that Gorebyss acts like a clique. These women made sure that Zoe had no way of fitting in with our tribe!" Takuya angrily snarled at Mimi and Casey. "Zoe tried to be civil towards you women, but what did you do to return her kindness? Oh that's right, you exchanged gossip and insults about Zoe behind her back!"

"Oh Takuya, why couldn't you let _that _go…it was such a long time ago!" Mimi shook her head and sighed dramatically. "Why are you such a sore loser?"

"Why are you such a bitch?" Takuya muttered under his breath.

_**James: **Wow, dinner was intense tonight. Actually, Gorebyss is a really intense tribe with a lot of strong personalities clashing. I feel like I'm in the middle of a tug of war between two sides that are at war with each other! This might be a problem because I like both Takuya and Mimi. If I have to go to tribal council, I don't know if I could choose between the two of them!_

James smiled weakly.

_**James: **But yeah, I really like it here. This is nothing like Huntail, where I'm automatically the outsider just because I'm that bad guy from Team Rocket. At Gorebyss, they gave me a chance to prove myself. They welcomed me with open arms. They actually like me, they actually care about me, and they actually want to be my friend. I…I feel touched._

As he was saying this, James was getting a bit misty-eyed in front of the cameras.

_**James: **It's so good to finally have friends…_

- - -

**DAY 15**

Mimi sat around the fire by herself, gazing emotionlessly as the logs blazed in the flames. As the tribe's resident chef, she would normally be cooking breakfast for the Gorebyss tribe. But this morning, Mimi didn't feel like doing much of anything. She could complain to the cameras about how unfair and unjust the game twist was, but she already spent the entire night yesterday sulking to the cameras about this subject. The shock of losing Cassidy had a more massive impact on Mimi than anybody could imagine.

_**Mimi: **Cassidy was a pivotal member of Gorebyss. She was the person that held this tribe together despite all of our losses. But yesterday, we lost the heart and the soul of our tribe. And without her, I think we're just going to bleed to death. It's over. It's so over._

Mimi sighed softly under her breath. She was so entranced by her thoughts that she didn't even notice Casey walking towards her. The petite little girl sat down beside the brunette and frowned.

"You've got to stay positive, Mimi. We might be a batter down, but there are still plenty of rounds left in the game." Casey said.

"But why did it have to be Cassidy? Why couldn't it be somebody like…Rika?" Mimi sighed, resting her head on Casey's shoulder.

"That's how it goes sometimes." Casey said, patting Mimi on the back. "But we can't give up yet. You know what the Electabuzz motto is? Never give up."

Mimi mumbled something unintelligible as a response.

"Besides, we promised Cassidy that we'll align with James, remember? We can't let Cassidy down…" Casey said enthusiastically.

"You know what, you're right. You're absolutely right. Thank you, I…I needed that." Mimi slowly nodded her head as a soft smile dawned upon her beautiful face. "Oh my god, is that what you sports people call a pep talk?"

Casey snorted in laughter.

"Anyway, I'm going to start cooking breakfast." Mimi said, her voice sounding more cheerful than before. "I'll win James over with my cooking!"

"Where _is_ James?" Casey asked, turning her head around inside the shelter. Only Rika was inside and she was still sleeping.

"I think he is in the forest with Takuya," replied Mimi.

"Oh damn." Casey said.

"You know, the two of them are spending a lot of time together…" Mimi said, frowning.

"We've got to do some damage control," added Casey.

_**Mimi: **If we've to go tribal council tonight, James will be the deciding vote at tribal council. My biggest fear is that Takuya has already befriended James in this short period of time. And I…I don't even have the chance to really know James! I'll need to start sucking up to James right away. Every second counts as valuable bonding time!_

Both Takuya and Mimi understood the fact that James was an important person to align with. If they had to go to tribal council, it was very likely that his vote would be the deciding one. And that made James the most popular person of the hour. Fortunately for Takuya, he had one distinctive advantage over Mimi: he was quicker. Early in the morning, Takuya had woken James up and he decided to provide James a lengthy tour around the island. Not only was he using this time to bond with James, he was also keeping Mimi and Casey's influence away from James.

"Rika and I go hunting every day in this forest. I think the birds are getting a little scared of us because we kill them so often," said Takuya.

"Do you guys really eat the birds? Like, really _eat_ them?" James asked curiously.

"Hey man, when you're desperate for food, you'll eat anything." Takuya said, shrugging. "It might sound gross, but it's no different than eating a fish that you catch in the sea."

"That's true." James nodded his head.

"Besides, Gorebyss will probably starve without Rika and me providing all of the food in our tribe." Takuya boasted. "I mean, Casey sometimes collects a few apples from the trees, but the amount is so trivial compared to what I bring back. And then there's Mimi…"

"What about her?" James asked.

"Let's just say that she's worthless. She's a total city girl. She could never survive on her own out here." Takuya chuckled.

"Back when I was in Huntail, Drew caught most of the fish for our tribe. Sometimes, a few of us would tag along and share part of the credit, but he's the main provider for that tribe," explained James.

"I'm surprised! I would've thought that Brock provided all of the food for your tribe! He looks like the one with the most experience outdoors!" Takuya exclaimed.

"Brock only cooks the food. Believe me, nobody on Huntail is who they appear to be." James said dismissively. He wasn't about to praise somebody like Brock in front of Takuya, even though he knew that the Pokemon Breeder did a whole lot more for the Huntail tribe than cook food.

Takuya nervously laughed. He didn't know how to respond to that, so he changed the conversation in another direction.

"So, do you like it here on Gorebyss?" Takuya asked in a very casual manner.

"Yes! Gorebyss is simply wonderful. You're all soooooo welcoming and friendly." James beamed. "I wouldn't trade the feeling of being accepted for anything in the world."

"You're a good guy, James." Takuya flashed a boyish grin to the blue-haired Team Rocket member. "And just between you and me…this could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship!"

_**Takuya: **I don't know exactly how the Huntail tribe treated James in the past, but he didn't leave his old tribe on the friendliest term. He suffered a lot of abuse from that tribe, far worse than any treatment I got from Cassidy. I mean, I always had Rika and Zoe by my side even at my lowest hours. James had nobody. But that's about to change though. I want James to know that no matter what happens, he now has at least one friend that he could always rely on in this tribe._

- - -

When the tribes met Professor Birch at the immunity challenge, he would normally ask for the Golden Pokeball from the winning tribe and then give them the instructions on how to win immunity. Huntail still had to put their immunity up for grabs (although they were confident that their tribe shall prevail in the challenge again), but Professor Birch was about to give two people immunity without even beginning the challenge.

"James and Cassidy, you've been rejected by your old tribes and shuffled into an entirely new tribe. I'm sure you're well informed about the little gift that comes along with your swap." Professor Birch smiled. He pulled out two necklaces from his lab pocket and handed one to each Tribe Rocket member. "Before you go to vote at each tribal council, you will have the opportunity to pull this necklace out and protect yourself from the vote. This power will last up until the tribal council in the Final Four."

"_So _cool." James squealed excitedly as he received his necklace. It was basically a small golden Pokeball attached to a thin black string, but James looked as happy as a little child who received his favourite present on Christmas.

"Anyway, let's carry on the challenge! Immunity is back up for grabs!" Professor Birch instructed, holding up the golden Pokeball in the air. "In this challenge, there will be five heats. Each round, the two competing participants will ride on a Ponyta and race on the beach." Professor Birch released the pony Pokemon from a Pokeball. "You'll eventually cross a white line on the beach, where you will jump off Ponyta and dig around in the sand for a small, ordinary Pokeball. The first person to find a Pokeball and bring it back to me will win that round. The tribe that wins three heats first will win immunity!"

Mimi looked a bit anxious at her first time of riding on a horse. She didn't seem too confident about her chances in this challenge.

"Huntail, which two tribe members are sitting out?" Professor Birch asked.

"Professor, we'll sit TK and Takato out." Brock replied.

"Okay, pairs have been randomly drawn." Professor Birch clapped his hands together. "In the first round, Takuya and JP will face off in the horse race!" He handed the two Frontiers each a Pokeball containing a Ponyta. "When I give you the signal, you'll release your Ponyta, climb on it and then begin the challenge. Survivors ready? Go!"

Takuya and JP both released the ponies from their Pokeballs. Like a natural athlete, Takuya jumped on the fiery horse with ease and began running away the course in an agile speed. On the other hand, JP was struggling to climb on the horse and he accidentally kicked it with his foot a few times. His Ponyta reacted violently to his mistake, stomping on its hooves and making it even harder for him to climb on. By the time JP calmed down his pony, Takuya was already halfway finished with the race.

A minute later, Takuya crossed the painted line on the sand on his horse and he jumped off. He knew that the Pokeball he needed was around here, somewhere. He got down on his knees and began digging through the sand with his bare hands. For a while, he couldn't find anything in the sand. But just when JP was arriving, albeit in a bit of a struggle, on his Ponyta, Takuya pulled out a Pokeball from the sand. Excitedly, he pumped his fist into the air and jumped back onto his horse. It was an easy trip as Takuya scored the first point for his tribe.

"One point for Gorebyss!" Professor Birch announced. "Next pair – it's gonna be Casey versus Drew!"

The two shortest players walked up to Professor Birch and received their Pokeball from the professor. They called their ponies out from their Pokeballs and immediately hopped on. For most of the race, the two of them were pretty even with each other, although Drew did gain a slight lead in the end. However, luck wasn't on Drew's side because he couldn't find a Pokeball anywhere in the sand. Casey, who was not far behind, quickly found a Pokeball somewhere by the white painted line. She rode her Ponyta back to Professor Birch, holding the Pokeball proudly in her hands.

"Two points for Gorebyss! One more point and they could take home immunity!" Professor Birch exclaimed. "Okay, the third round consists of a race between Mimi and May!"

At the beginning of this round, it was obvious that Mimi had absolutely no experience in riding a horse before. She nervously looked at her Ponyta and approached it in such a cautious manner, causing her to lose a lot of time. May easily leapt on her horse and sped through most of the race like a breeze. When she crossed the white line, it took her a few minutes to actually dig up a Pokeball, but Mimi was still nowhere to be seen. This was not a close race at all. May brought back the Pokeball and a point for Huntail before Mimi could even hop off her horse.

"Huntail is still behind with one point!" Professor Birch said. "And the participants in our next round are…James and Brock!"

Although the athletic Brock had no problem running an entirely smooth race on his Ponyta, James surprised him by keeping very closely behind. The two men dug around the sand for a while, desperately trying to find a Pokeball in the sand. It was James who found the Pokeball first and he excitedly jumped on the Ponyta, hoping that he could ride his way to a Gorebyss victory. But a few seconds later, Brock also found a Pokeball and immediately chased after the Team Rocket member. It was a close race between the two of them, but Brock's athleticism eventually shone through. In the middle of the race back, he passed by James, scoring yet another point for Huntail.

"It's now tied…and it comes down to the final round between Rika and Cassidy!" Professor Birch gave the Pokeballs to the two women. "This is for immunity! Survivors ready? Go!"

Cassidy's approach to her horse intimidated Ponyta, causing a bit of difficulty for her to actually ride on it. Rika took advantage of her petite structure and had no problem jumping on the horse, although she did have some difficulty navigating it around the course. The disobedient Ponyta was reluctant to move forward. It occasionally turned around and even tried to hinder her progress!

"Stupid horse! We're going _this _way!" Rika yelled, forcefully steering her Ponyta in a different direction from where it was heading.

Due to a bit of a struggle that Rika had with her horse, Cassidy managed to buy some time and caught up to her. However, her horse also failed to listen to her commands and just before it crossed the white line, her Ponyta refused to move any further! While Cassidy shouted meaningless insults and cuss words to her Ponyta, Rika crossed the white line and jumped off her horse. She immediately began to look for her Pokeball.

A minute later, Cassidy aggressively made her horse move the few extra steps that she needed in order to begin digging. And as soon as she left her horse, Cassidy started to dig like a mad caveperson digging for her life. It was a race between just her and Rika. Whoever found that Pokeball first would be guaranteed three more days on this island.

Cassidy scratched her nails on the sand, mumbling frantically to herself. She had no time to form any bond or alliance with her tribe members. She _needed _to win this challenge.

And she did it. Cassidy burst into a wide maniacal grin as she pulled out a Pokeball from the sand. With a smug expression on her face, she quickly jumped on her horse and rode back to where Professor Birch was standing. Her tribe members were cheering as she handed the professor her Pokeball.

"Huntail wins immunity! Again!" Professor Birch screamed at the top of his voice. He handed the Golden Pokeball to Cassidy, who could do nothing more but wear a wide grin on her face.

Rika pound her fist angrily into the sand. This was her _fourth _consecutive time losing an immunity challenge – and it didn't feel any better than her first three losses.

"Gorebyss, I'm sorry to say that you're going to tribal council tonight." Professor Birch said sadly. A tear was rolling down Mimi's cheek as he made this announcement. But however cruel it might sound, he had to remain his neutral stance as the host. "Someone is going to be voted off from your tribe."

For just a brief second, the grin on Cassidy's face faded away as she saw the distressed expressions on Mimi and Casey's faces. Casey was hugging the skinny brunette, whispering meaningless consolation words into her ear. And just for that second, Cassidy felt a flicker of an unlikely emotion inside her heart. She actually felt sorry for her former allies, who had to suffer through yet another tribal council. This time, they weren't even certain that they had the majority of the votes.

But when that second passed, Cassidy turned her head away from them and the callous grin returned to her jagged face. She might have felt sympathetic for Mimi and Casey in that one second, but Cassidy was still a selfish, insensitive and uncaring woman.

And she didn't feel pity for anybody but herself.

- - -

Just before her fourth trip to tribal council, Mimi had an opportunity to talk with James in a private conversation. She didn't know how much time she had to persuade the Team Rocket member to change his mind, but she hoped it was enough. She was determined that she would be able to win his vote. Mimi knew that her chances of surviving in this game were at peril ever since Cassidy left. But Mimi didn't want to go home yet. She wasn't ready to leave this game without a fight.

"You know what I think? Professor Birch needs a total makeover." Mimi said, giggling. "He needs to ditch the geeky lab coat and wear something way more stylish."

"I _know_!" James snapped his fingers enthusiastically. "I'd get rid of that scruffy beard too. He's not the one who has to live on an island for fifteen days, why does he need to keep a beard?"

Mimi laughed, running her hairs down her slick brown hair.

"Please don't get me started on his cheap out-of-the-dollar-store sandals either. If you don't have good feet, don't wear sandals!" Mimi shook her head as if it was a lost cause.

"That man's fashion sense is atrocious!" James put his hands around his throat as if he wanted to choke himself.

Mimi nodded her head, giggling to every word that James said.

"The conversations between us just flow. It's been so long since I could talk to somebody like this on the island. It feels really nice!" James chuckled. "We've so much in common, Mimi."

"I really enjoy your company too," said Mimi, who wore a faint smile on her face. "But…"

"But what's wrong?" James turned his head towards Mimi, looking confused.

"I don't normally ask for favours, James." Mimi began. Her voice was growing softer and sadder by each word. "But you've to help me survive this tribal council. You've to vote with Casey and me!"

James gulped. He was naïve enough to hope that he would be able to escape this type of conversation before tribal council. Obviously, he was wrong.

"Who do you want me to vote for?" James asked in a shaky voice.

"Rika. If it wasn't for Cassidy always protecting her, I would have voted her immediately out of our tribe." Mimi said. "Nothing personal, but she's _so _anti-social. She might be a hard worker, but she's a bit dull and boring."

"Yeah…" James said, but his voice was trailing away.

"And she walks around with that wretched expression on her face…it's as if we had done something wrong to upset her! We haven't done anything to upset her!" Mimi screamed hysterically, shaking her head. Just on cue, tears were already forming at the corner of her eyes. "Oh James, please…"

"Mimi…" James looked a bit startled. He stuttered as he searched for the right response. "Don't cry! You're going to make me cry too! I…I..."

"You have to do this for us, James. You're our only hope…" Mimi mumbled sadly.

"This is so awkward." James lowered his gaze on the ground.

Mimi grabbed James' hand and brought it closer to her weeping face.

"Oh James, please vote for Rika in this tribal council, just this once. Is that too much to ask from a friend?" Mimi sobbed. James mumbled an inaudible reply.

He closed his eyes. He couldn't look at Mimi in the face right now. It was too depressing to think about voting _anybody _off.

_**Mimi: **Right now, I think I've a pretty good chance at winning James' vote in tribal council. We share a lot of common interests and we really click with each other. For example, we both love to talk about style and fashion. I don't think he could enjoy this type of conversations with people like Takuya and Rika. They couldn't put a sense of fashion together even if it smacked them right in their faces._

She smiled faintly at the cameras.

_**Mimi: **I don't know what James is thinking. He is a sincere guy and I'm pretty sure he likes Casey and me a lot. Tribal council is going to be a toss-up between Rika and me. I guess I'll find out if my plea worked on him or not tonight…_

- - -

It seemed like that every three nights, the Gorebyss tribe would attend to tribal council. All of its members would wear stern and stiff expressions on their solemn faces. They would silently walk in, dip their torches in the fire pit and take their usual seats on the wooden bleachers. Unfortunately, this was a custom that the Gorebyss tribe had grown too familiar with. Casey always thought of going to tribal council as a sign of defeat. No, it was a sign of defeats after defeats after defeats. After every vote, Casey promised herself that she would never, _never_ come back to this horrible place again.

And yet, here Casey was – her fourth consecutive tribal council.

"One thing I've noticed is that the number four seems to be a recurring theme at tonight's tribal council. You lost four immunity challenges so far. You have to go to tribal council for the fourth consecutive time." Professor Birch explained. "And after tonight, Gorebyss will be down to only four tribe members."

"How symbolic," muttered Rika.

"It has been a long time since I last saw you here, James," said Professor Birch. "Sadly, I cannot say the same to the rest of you. This is your fourth tribal council, Gorebyss."

"We know, professor. We know." Takuya said glumly.

"At this rate, your tribe will be completely decimated into nothing. I'll give you my prediction…I don't think you'll be able to get out of your losing streak. You're going to continue to lose and you'll keep coming back to tribal council." Professor Birch said. "Casey, do you think Gorebyss will be able to win another immunity challenge?"

"Our hearts are in the right place. As long as we've the determination, we'll be able to do anything. I believe we can pull of a win." Casey smiled with enthusiasm. "Yeah! In fact, we'll win the next immunity challenge, professor!"

"The underdogs always prevail, man." Takuya grinned confidently, nodding his head.

"James, you were on a winning tribe before. Is this transition from winning to losing tough for you?" Professor Birch asked.

"I'm a little bummed out that we lost the immunity challenge, but I'm coping well in the Gorebyss tribe," said James, who wore a gentle smile on his face. "I'm actually starting to like it here."

"Really?" Professor Birch asked in an incredulous tone of voice.

"James is a great addition to our tribe, professor. We all adore him." Mimi said.

"So Mimi…" Professor Birch turned his attention towards the skinny brunette. "Who do you think was a better member for the tribe – James or Cassidy?"

"Ah, that's tough to say…" Mimi smiled coyly. "Both have their strengths in different areas and I…uh, I love them equally."

"But James has only been with this tribe for what, two days? That pales in comparison with the four of you, who have spent over two weeks with each other." Professor Birch said, "Surely, James must be in a vulnerable position tonight, right?"

"I don't think so. We might have lived with each other for a longer period of time, but that doesn't mean we enjoy their company," explained Takuya. He paused, glaring at Mimi. "Some of us might even despise each other."

"James, is it safe for me to say that you won't use your immunity necklace tonight?" Professor Birch asked.

"I hope I'm not being too arrogant to do this, but…" James shook his head firmly. "No, I think I'm safe tonight, so I won't use my individual immunity at this tribal council."

"Mimi, give me your analysis on Gorebyss as a tribe." Professor Birch said, turning his attention towards the brunette once again. "Are the five of you unified or divided?"

"I think our tribe is divided into two conflicting sides and the vote tonight will reflect that," replied Mimi.

"Do you think the divisiveness is a reason why Gorebyss keep losing in challenges?" Professor Birch prompted. "Rika?"

"Yeah." Rika nodded her head. "Unity is a huge issue in our tribe…but that problem is going to go away after tonight."

"Okay." Professor Birch nodded, but did not ask the quiet Tamer to elaborate. "It's time to vote. James, you're up first."

James went to cast his vote and came back, appearing to be slightly rueful about his decision. A few tribe members tried to read his enigmatic face for a subtle hint, but with little success.

Next was Mimi, who stood at the voting booth with a faint smile on her lips. She wrote the name 'Rika' on the piece of parchment in small, flowery letters and held it in front of the cameras.

"Rika, living with you makes me feel like I'm in the middle of an angst novel gone wrong. I wished you would stop being so unpleasant all the time and just…cheer up, you know? It wouldn't kill you to smile more often!"

Takuya went to the voting booth next, carrying a vindictive smirk on his face. He scrawled down Mimi's name on the parchment and laughed as he held it for the cameras.

"You've attached your wagon to the wrong horse. It's gone off track now and you can't come back. Had your whole strategy not been so reliant on Cassidy, you might have stood a chance after the twist, but she's gone now and I guess this is it."

Takuya grinned, dropping his vote into the voting urn.

"This is the emancipation of Mimi. Love, Mariah Carey."

"We won't start winning any challenges until all of the weak links are gone. And that means _you_." Rika muttered, holding up the fourth vote in front of the cameras and showing little remorse. As usual, there were no emotions expressed on her stern face or in her monotonous voice.

"I'm sorry," said Casey as she cast the final vote of the evening. She began to walk away and then she turned back to look at the cameras with an apologetic smile. "I'm really, _really _sorry."

- - -

Although the Gorebyss tribe had faced through this same process for four times, waiting for Professor Birch to tally the votes was never an easy feeling, no matter if it was the first time or the fourth time. An anxious Casey stared nervously as the lumpy professor marched back from the voting booth. He held the much dreaded voting urn in his hands. Another player's fate was about to sealed.

"Once the votes have been read…" Professor Birch began.

_The person voted off will be asked to leave immediately_, thought Casey inside her head. She had heard this line so many times before that she could actually recite it at the appropriate time.

After his brief but mandatory speech, Professor Birch pulled out the first parchment from the voting urn. He turned it over, revealing a four-letter name on the vote.

"Rika."

The icy Tamer looked unimpressed as the professor held up the vote. There was a defiant look inside her eyes, almost as if she was daring for the remaining votes to have her name written on them.

"The second vote…" Professor Birch said, drawing another parchment from the urn.

He turned it over and this vote read a _different _four-letter name on it.

"Mimi."

Mimi smiled faintly at the vote. She clasped her hands together and placed it in between her quivering knees. She looked over at James, who she knew would be the deciding vote for tonight. He had no reaction to the vote whatsoever.

"The third vote…" Professor Birch paused, maintaining an air of suspense before he turned the vote over.

Rika stared at the name written on the parchment and smirked.

"Mimi."

"That's two votes for Mimi and one vote for Rika." Professor Birch declared. He put his hand inside the urn once more. "This is the fourth vote."

He pulled out the vote and read it.

"And the fifth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…"

Professor Birch turned over the piece of parchment.

"Mimi."

Mimi sighed softly, sounding a bit frustrated and unsatisfied at the results. As soon as her best friend Cassidy left the tribe, she knew that this outcome would be inevitable. It was _over_. She just didn't know that it would be so soon.

"The remaining vote will remain a mystery," said Professor Birch mysteriously.

The skinny brunette got up from her seat and exchanged a brief hug with Casey and James. A poignant smile appeared on her face as she walked over to Professor Birch with her torch. This was it. This was her classy exit. This was her walk of shame.

"Mimi, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch said as he snuffed the flame on Mimi's torch. "It's time for you to go."

The tall and slender brunette nodded her head once, as if to accept her fate. She began walking into the dark and brooding forest, step by step, until she soon disappeared from sight.

"There is no need for me to read the remaining vote, but let's just say…" Professor Birch paused, briefly glaring at Casey. She did not return his gaze. "The number four _is _a recurring theme in this tribal council."

Casey's head dropped. Her eyes were staring remorsefully at the ground.

"Whether I see you again in three days is still up in the air," said Professor Birch. "But for now, you may return to your camp."

Casey quietly watched her tribe members stood up, preparing to trek back to the Gorebyss camp. Her observant eyes caught Takuya exchanging a triumphant grin with Rika, both of them silently celebrating about their recent victory in tribal council. James followed closely behind the pair, also smiling in glee. Only Casey remained in her seat, pondering about the drastic changes that had been made into this tribe. Since the twist occurred, Gorebyss was no more the shattered and divided tribe that Casey remembered from the past three tribal councils. From now on, they were unified as a tribe – everybody _except _Casey, who felt like an outsider desperately struggling to fit in.

Cassidy was no longer a part of Gorebyss. Mimi was no longer a part of Gorebyss.

And very soon, Casey would no longer be a part of Gorebyss…

- - -

_**Mimi's Final Words**_

Gosh, who would have predicted that a girl like me would last fifteen days on the island? I was literally isolated from the things that I love the most: shopping malls, hair salons, fashion magazines, my family, and my friends. Actually, most of my friends thought that I would be begging to quit the game by the end of Day One, but I proved them wrong! I even proved to myself that I'm stronger than I thought I was.

Overall, Survivor has been an enriching experience for me. I learned a lot about myself while I was living in the wilderness. I found out what my strengths and my weaknesses are. I also made some really tight friendships that I know I'll maintain outside of this game. Plus, I got a _really _cute tan, so I'm a very happy girl even though I didn't win the million dollars!

- - -

_**Next Time on Survivor –**_

**Casey fights for her survival…**  
_Casey: _All of my friends are gone.  
(Casey smiles weakly at the cameras.)  
_Casey: _I will never give up.

**Huntail celebrates May's birthday…**  
_Takato: _Happy birthday, May!  
_Brock: _Close your eyes and make a wish.  
(May beams gratefully at the two men.)

**And Drew gets more ruthless…**  
_Drew: _Don't worry. You won't see your name come up in tribal council.  
(He smirks at the cameras, flipping his green hair over his shoulder.)  
_Drew: _She is going to get the shock of her life.

_**All this and more on – Episode 6: Strike Out**_

**Author's Notes:** Thanks for reading (and reviewing...you've been reviewing, right?)! Also, please spend a few minutes and complete the survey to give your input on the story! 


	6. Episode 6: Strike Out

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**  
**By: Gomamon**

_**Last Time on Survivor:**_

_James feels that nobody in the Huntail tribe understands him and wishes there is a way to free himself from this tribe. His wish comes true when May and Takuya partakes in a twist that changes the dynamics of both tribes. May sends James to the Gorebyss tribe, while Takuya sends Cassidy to the Huntail tribe. As a part of the twist, they both receive immunity necklaces that they could use at any tribal council up until the Final Four. While James feels relieved to be on a tribe when everybody welcomes him with open arms, Cassidy despises her tribe and thinks she is an outsider in Huntail._

_After losing their fourth consecutive immunity challenge, Gorebyss heads to tribal council once more. Mimi feels obligated to befriend James in order to secure his vote at tribal council. At the end, James decides to side with Takuya, making Mimi the fifth person voted off in a unanimous vote of 4 to 1. Eleven remain, who will be voted off next?_

**Episode Six: Strike Out**

**Gorebyss: **_CASEY – JAMES – RIKA – TAKUYA_

**Huntail: **_BROCK – CASSIDY – DREW – JP – MAY – TAKATO – TK_

- - -

**DAY 16**

It was a restful morning at the Gorebyss camp. A flock of tiny Swablu flew across the cloudless sky, chirping a soothing tune through its beaks. The only noise that drowned out the pleasant melody was Takuya's loud and raspy snores from inside the shelter. Almost everybody in the tribe was still sleeping – or that was what they were doing until an energetic holler suddenly woke everyone up. A drowsy James poked his head outside the shelter to investigate where the voice originated from. He was not surprised to see Casey standing outside, wearing a toothy grin on her enthusiastic face.

"Breakfast is ready, you guys!" Casey shouted, clapping her hands enthusiastically. "Come on, come on! Rise and shine! You don't want the food to get cold, do you?"

Takuya groaned. He curled himself up into a small ball as an attempt to go back to sleep.

"Good morning, Casey…" James yawned as he slowly climbed out of the shelter.

"_Gooooooood_ morning, James!" Casey grinned. She grabbed the Team Rocket member's hand and pulled him towards the campfire, where four bowls of apple slices were neatly laid out on the sand. "I cooked breakfast this morning! We need all the energy we can get if we want to win the reward challenge today!"

"Yeah, I suppose so." James smiled weakly at the petite girl.

"Gorebyss for the win!" Casey pumped her fist into the air.

_**James: **I'm really impressed at how well Casey is coping after last night's tribal council. A lesser person would be moping and sulking about having these kinds of odds, but she just wakes up the next day with a huge smile on her face, almost as if nothing happened at all! After a night of sleep, she's already able to get over the loss of Mimi, who I believe was a close friend of hers._

The tall and handsome Team Rocket member gave a small chuckle.

_**James: **Casey has the rare ability to forget her past and just move on. I'll never understand how she has so much enthusiasm, but I admire that go-getter attitude of hers. If I wasn't playing this game as an opponent against her, I would totally be rooting for Casey to win the entire game!_

Takuya didn't sleep well last night, so he didn't feel like waking up so early. But after the loud and noisy rattle that Casey made, he had no way of going back to sleep no matter how hard he tried. Besides, the rest of his tribe had already woken up and was sitting around the campfire, eating the apple slices that Casey prepared for them as breakfast.

"She's _annoying_." Takuya silently mouthed to the cameras, pointing his finger at Casey's back. He reluctantly hopped out of the shelter and joined the rest of his tribe for breakfast.

"Hey…" James said as he nibbled on a slice of apple. "I kind of wished we had more to eat on this tribe. I'm starving."

"We all are," grumbled Rika.

"I know, but as much as I loathe Huntail, they seem to have an endless supply of food over there. But this tribe…" James paused, wincing. "I looked at the container with the rice today and I noticed how little rice we have left. We're going to run out soon."

"I don't think Mimi rationed the food properly in the past two weeks," said Casey with a small sigh. "She used to cook these really delicious and satisfying meals, but she doesn't realize how much food she's wasting in the process."

"How typical of her," said Rika as she took a huge bite out of an apple. She did not look impressed.

"I'm not used to this extreme hunger. Back when I was home, I used to eat three nutritious meals a day." Casey sighed as she reminisced about her real life three weeks ago. "But out here, I feel like I'm famished no matter how much I eat."

"Oh, we could tell." James said sadly, folding his arms against his trembling knees. "You look _really _skinny, Casey."

"Do I? I haven't looked in a mirror for so long, I don't even know what I look like anymore," chuckled Casey.

"I'm sorry, but you look like someone who had not eaten in ages," said James dramatically. "You look _horrible_!"

"It's true." Rika added, nodding her head.

_**Rika: **The lack of food is taking a huge tow on everybody's bodies. When we leave this game, it's going to take months before we could recover from the drastic weight losses. Despite that, I think most of us will be okay, except Casey. She…she has lost the most weight out of everybody. She usually wears a baggy shirt that drapes over her body, but I notice that her bones are beginning to stick out a little too much. I'm not a doctor, but that doesn't look like a healthy symptom to me._

She frowned, crossing her arms across her chest.

_**Rika: **Casey started the game already as a very tiny and skinny girl and she's just looking worse and worse as the days pass by. At this rate, I seriously doubt she has the energy to last on this island for the next twenty three days._

"Ah, whatever. I wouldn't worry too much about it." Casey shrugged. "I don't like to worry."

"You don't have to act tough," said James, sounding a bit concerned. "I know how you feel. My body is deteriorating too and I'm freaking out about it. It's not just tough physically, but it's also a _huge _strain mentally to see your body collapse right in front of your eyes."

"It's difficult for all of us…" Rika muttered.

"Yeah," echoed Takuya.

Casey leapt up from her seat, putting both of her hands on each side of her hips. The confident smile on her face seemed to have grown even wider than before.

"Come on, people! I thought we're stronger than this! There's no point of getting upset over something that you can't change." She shook her head very quickly. "No, we can't think like this! This pessimistic frame of mind isn't healthy for us!"

"I think you're being too naïve." Takuya said, pausing for a few seconds to recollect his thoughts. "Stop beating around the bush, Casey. Sometimes, we have to be realistic about life and face our problems upfront."

"You're _wrong_. That's loser talk, Takuya, and you know it. We can never win a challenge if we just complain about our problems," said Casey, raising her voice. "I'd like to eat more food too, but instead of just whining about how we don't have enough to eat, I'd rather we actually do something to change that problem!"

"I agree," said Rika.

"You _do_?" Takuya asked, looking a bit surprised at his friend.

"Casey is right. We have to stop talking in circles and actually dosomething to change the situation." Rika said, carrying a look of determination in her icy blue eyes. "We need to change our habits and start working more often."

"Yeah! I…I will go help hunting too, if that helps!" James said, feeling the sudden rush of motivation rising inside of him.

"And I'll forage for even more food in the forest each day," added Casey in a rapid voice.

She turned her head towards Takuya, waiting for the goggle-head's reaction on the situation. The young man shrugged his shoulders as a small grin spread across his boyish face.

"Well?" Casey asked, prompting him for a response.

"Well, what are we waiting for then?" Takuya said, getting up on his feet. "Let's start working!"

"That's _the_ spirit!" Casey said. She grinned at all of her tribe members. "We can do it!"

- - -

JP yawned. He sat slothfully inside the motorboat with both of his feet on the steering wheel. Had his left hand not been holding onto a fishing rod that hanged at the edge of the boat, nobody would have known that he was actually fishing. Drew, who sat beside the chubby Frontier, looked a little annoyed at the posture of his fishing buddy. But of course, he was smart enough to keep his mouth closed about the subject matter. Instead, he turned his attention to the vast blue sea, gazing at it as if he was in some sort of trance.

"Do you think we'll catch anything today?" Drew asked.

"With the top of the line fishing gear that we're using, we have to catch the best fish in this ocean!" JP laughed loudly. "Seriously, we better catch a freaking whale or I'll lose my patience, man!"

_**Drew: **Whenever it's possible, JP always volunteers to go fishing with me on the boat. I think he likes this job because he gets to sit on his ass all day and look like he's working. I guess that's an interesting way to squirm off work. Everybody thinks he put in the effort to work, even if he rarely catches any fish. Personally, I don't appreciate JP at all. I think he's a fat and lazy buffoon. But hey, that's just me._

"So, what do you think of the new girl?" Drew asked, eyeing his fishing buddy with interest as he asked the question.

"Ah, Cassidy is alright," said JP, not putting much thought into his words. "She's not as bad as I thought she would be, but I've a feeling that she's toning it down a little to fit in with our tribe."

"That's understandable. She already has a large enough target on her back as it is," said Drew, smirking smugly.

"And don't forget that she has an immunity necklace that she could whip out at any tribal council." JP frowned. "If she makes it to the merge with that thing, it'll be really difficult to get rid of her…"

"That's true, but Cassidy isn't the biggest threat in this game right now." Drew said, shaking his head. "I told you this numerous times, but if either of us want to win this game, we've to break apart the alliance between Brock, May and Takato."

"Not this again…" JP muttered, but Drew didn't let him finish.

"You said that you didn't want to align with James for personal reasons, fine. Good for you." Drew glanced at JP, talking to him in a very condescending manner. "But James isn't in this tribe anymore, and you don't hold a grudge against Cassidy, right?" JP shook his head cautiously as Drew continued. "Then there should be no problem for you to vote Brock or May out!"

"Yeah, but it's more complicated than that." JP said, looking uncomfortable. "May deserves to be here more than a few other people on this tribe. It's the same thing with Brock."

"JP. Open your eyes!" Drew let out an exasperated sigh. "This is the best opportunity for you to take apart a powerful alliance that is controlling Huntail. If the four of us gang up against the three of them, then we'll have total control over our tribe."

JP didn't reply back.

_**JP: **Damn, damn, damn. Since I haven't gone to tribal council for so long, I'm actually growing accustomed to not thinking about who to vote for! But uh, that Drew kid is really persistent. His mind is always thinking about the game. Whenever the two of us have a conversation together, he always brings up the subject of the vote. He wants me to vote for people who I don't think deserve to get voted off, but at the same time, I understand that I must do it in order to survive._

He sighed to the cameras as he cast his eyes on the ground.

_**JP: **It's a selfish game…_

"If you don't vote them off, they're going to vote _you _off," said Drew, sensing that JP's uncharacteristic silence was a moment of vulnerability. "Think about it."

"Okay. I'll vote with you." JP said hesitantly. "I still think we should vote for Cassidy first, but if you want to get rid of Brock first, that's alright with me."

"And TK…?" Drew asked, raising his eyebrow.

"TK will vote with us, I'm sure of it." JP said, nodding his head.

"Good job, JP." Drew smiled, patting JP on his shoulder. "You wouldn't regret this, I promise."

"Why do I get the feeling that I've just sold my soul to the devil?" JP grinned sheepishly, although Drew did not find that comparison amusing.

Just then, Drew felt a tug in his hand. He looked up and suddenly realized that the fishing rod he was holding was shaking vibrantly. He caught something!

"Quick, draw it in! It looks like it's gonna be a huge fish!" JP exclaimed, jumping up from his seat in excitement.

Drew obeyed as he quickly reeled the fish in. He actually struggled for a while, since whatever was at the end of the line put up a strong fight for resistance. But eventually, the skilful Coordinator managed to pull out a large Magikarp from the water. The orange fish hanged uselessly in the air until Drew cautiously unattached it from his fishing rod. He dropped the Magikarp into a large bucket inside the boat, where the Magikarp uselessly flopped around.

"Dude! That's the hugest Magikarp I've seen in my life!" JP laughed, raising his hand for a high-five, which Drew returned. "We're going to be _eating _a fantastic dinner tonight!"

"I'm pretty good at this, aren't I?" Drew gloated.

"Yeah, you know it! You're the man, Drew!" JP exclaimed.

_**JP: **I admit, I'm a simple guy. I don't need much reason to like a person, but I think Drew is a pretty cool kid. He can catch a lot of fish, which automatically makes him my stomach's number one best friend! But besides that, I also think he's very intelligent and he knows what he is doing in this game. Dude, that kid is sharp! I want to be Drew's friend, because I definitely don't want to be his enemy._

- - -

Professor Birch patiently stood on the beach as he waited for the two representatives to arrive for the reward challenge. Like always, the professor wore a long laboratory coat over his dark t-shirt and khaki brown shorts and on his feet was a pair of sandals. He had been waiting for a while, but Professor Birch did not mind the waiting. And very soon, he saw the arrival of the representative from the Gorebyss tribe: Takuya Kanbara. The athletic young man jogged energetically out of the forest, grinning and waving his arms in the air. A crimson red buff was tied around his right bicep, which Professor Birch always thought was an indication of Takuya's masculinity and ultra-competitiveness.

"Takuya, I see you in these reward challenges a lot lately," said the professor with a small smile on his bearded face.

"Aw, you say that like it's a bad thing!" Takuya chuckled.

A few minutes later, JP emerged out of the forest, also wearing an energetic smile on his face. He was the representative sent from Huntail to compete in the reward challenge. Takuya's face lit up when he saw his Frontier friend arrive on the beach. JP flashed a victory sign to his friend and Takuya returned that gesture by grinning goofily at the chubby Frontier.

"The reward challenge today will test you on how well you know your past and current tribe members." Professor Birch explained. "You'll be given five pokeballs each. Every round, I'll ask you a question that is related to the members of your tribe. If you answer correctly, there will be no penalties." Professor Birch paused as he scanned the faces of the two Frontiers, who were listening to the instructions very attentively. "But if you answer incorrectly, you'll lose one pokeball and you'll have to keep answering that question until you provide me with the correct answer." He paused again before continuing. "The first person to lose all five of his pokeballs will lose the reward challenge, which means the other person will be made the default winner!"

"Ah…I'm not good at this kind of stuff. I'm screwed!" Takuya laughed.

"Want to know what you're playing for?" Professor Birch asked, ignoring the goggle-head's remark.

"Yeah!" Takuya and JP both shouted in unison. They watched in awe as the professor walked over to a nearby table and uncovered the reward that was concealed by a thin white sheet. On the table were blankets, pillows, rolls of toilet paper, as well as several bottles and tiny containers.

"You'll be playing for pillows and blankets, ensuring that you'll sleep comfortably every night!" Professor Birch announced, while JP and Takuya both cheered. "Also, you'll win toothbrushes, toothpaste, toilet paper, shampoo, soap and other toiletries that will make your life easier on this island! Is this reward worth playing for?"

"Hell yeah! A few of us have been complaining about not taking a proper bath for sixteen days, especially May!" JP grinned. "I want this reward so badly!"

"In that case, let's get started. I'll alternate questions between the two of you." Professor Birch said as he handed both men five pokeballs each. "Since Takuya arrived first, I'll ask you the first question. If you answer it correctly, I'll move on to JP. However, if you give me an incorrect answer, I'll take away one of your pokeballs and you'll have to give me another answer until you get the question correct. Are you ready, Takuya?"

Takuya nodded his head and pumped his fist energetically in the air.

"Which of your current or former tribe members have once dyed her hair pink?" Professor Birch asked.

"Whoa! Um, okay." Takuya scratched his head, looking slightly confused. "I'll have to do this by process of elimination since I don't know the answer." He chuckled nervously. "It's not Zoe, she'll never ruin her hair like this. And hell will freeze over before Rika ever dyes her hair pink." He paused, grinning goofily. "Okay, I don't think it's Delia, although she might have done some crazy things back when she was young…"

Takuya tapped his foot impatiently on the ground. He mumbled something to himself.

"I'll have to say Casey. She's such an eccentric girl. Dying her hair pink fits right into her persona," reasoned Takuya. He was slowly nodding his head as if to reassure himself that this logic was rational.

"That's incorrect, Takuya. Casey did _not_ dye her hair pink." Professor Birch replied. He removed a Pokeball from Takuya's hands. "Please re-answer."

"Aw crap…I don't know." Takuya laughed nervously. "Cassidy?"

"I'm sorry, but that's also incorrect," said the professor as he took away another pokeball from Takuya.

"Uh...then, Mimi," guessed Takuya.

Professor Birch cast his tiny eyes onto the cue cards that he was holding and began nodding his head. He smiled at Takuya.

"That's correct! Mimi once dyed her hair pink before she was a brunette," said the professor. Takuya gave a huge sigh of relief, thankful to finally answer the question correctly. "JP, it's your turn. Which of your current or former tribe members was in the basketball team during high school?"

"Dude, I know this! This is easy!" JP grinned boyishly. "It's TK for sure. I also know that he was the MVP of his basketball team as well!"

"That's the correct answer, it is indeed TK." Professor Birch looked down at his cue cards to confirm the correct answer. "Takuya, we're back to you. Which of your tribe members has a sibling named Henry?"

"How the hell am I supposed to know this?" Takuya laughed.

Takuya looked up at the sky, as if he was searching for a random answer in the air.

"I know it's not Zoe. I don't think it's Rika, but then again, she hardly talks about her family. May be it _is _her…" He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. Finally, he looked up at the professor with a confident smile. "Is it Rika?"

"No, that's incorrect." Professor Birch replied, removing yet another pokeball from Takuya's hand. The goggle-head only had two pokeballs left while his opponent JP had a full set of five.

"Um, uh, umm…how about Suzie?" Takuya guessed, pulling the first name that appeared at the top of his head.

"Suzie is the correct answer. She has an older brother named Henry." Professor Birch turned to JP to ask his second question. "Which of your tribe members has a sibling named Max?"

"That's May! She talks about her annoying little brother all the time," said JP without a bit of hesitation.

"Right." Professor Birch nodded his head, looking impressed. "Takuya, which of your tribe members currently reside in a town called Pallet Town?"

"It should be Casey, I think." Takuya said hesitantly. "I heard her mention that place before, but…yeah, I think it's her. I'm pretty confident the answer is Casey."

Professor Birch glanced over at Takuya with an apologetic smile.

"No, that's incorrect." Professor Birch said. He took away another pokeball from Takuya. "You only have one pokeball left, so if you don't answer correctly in your next turn, Gorebyss would lose the reward challenge."

"Ooh, pressure!" Takuya laughed nervously. He sighed and closed his eyes. "I don't know. I don't know. But I'm gonna guess…Cassidy."

"That's wrong." Professor Birch said, taking away the last pokeball from Takuya's hand. He dropped his head in a disappointed manner. "Sorry, Takuya. The correct answer is Delia." The professor turned towards JP, who was smiling very enthusiastically. "Congratulations, you're the winner! Huntail wins reward!"

"No sweat!" JP grinned, wiping his forehead to emphasize his point.

"Your tribe members will surely be pleased when you bring the reward home, JP. And Takuya, I've nothing for ya." Professor Birch said to the two Frontiers. "You may both return to your camps."

"Actually, professor…I've a proposal I want to make to Takuya." JP smiled mischievously, while both Takuya and Professor Birch looked surprised. "I think Takuya put in a good effort – no really, you did! And you know what, I think you should…" JP paused. He walked over to the table and grabbed a white pillow and a piece of blanket. He handed them over to Takuya, who looked awestruck. "You should take these. Your tribe lost too many challenges already and the four of you need a little boost-me-up."

Takuya widened his eyes in astonishment. He was speechless for a few seconds as he stared at the presents that JP gave him.

"JP! I…I can't accept this! I didn't win the reward!" Takuya stammered, shaking his head rapidly. He tried to give the pillow back to JP, but the chubby Frontier shoved it back into the goggle-head's arms.

"No, I won the reward, so I've the right to share the prize with whomever I please!" JP said stubbornly.

"But I'm a Gorebyss! I'm your enemy from the opposing tribe!" Takuya argued.

"Stupid Takuya, you're not my enemy. You're my _friend_." JP laughed. He flashed a gentle smile at Takuya. "And as a good friend of yours, I don't want to see you continually suffer on the other tribe. All those losses must be hard on your ego. And besides, our tribe has won so much already! Dude, we really don't need that much prizes in our camp!"

"Are you sure about this?" Takuya asked, glancing at JP with a hint of uncertainty.

"Yeah, yeah!" JP laughed. "Now stop making such a big fuss about it!"

Takuya looked at Professor Birch for his approval and Professor Birch just smiled at him, nodding his head as if to say that sharing the reward was allowed. Takuya turned towards JP again, this time, a boyish grin appeared on Takuya's face.

"Thanks, JP." He said quietly. "You're a good friend and I...I owe you one."

"Dude, that's what good friends do. They help each other out in an emergency!" JP grinned. "Anyway, I'll see ya later!"

After the two men exchanged their farewells with each other, JP collected his remaining prizes in his arms and began hiking back to the Huntail camp. He did not know if he made the right decision to share the reward with Takuya, nor did he know if there would be a popular response if his tribe members found out what he did. But for now, none of these questions mattered to him. After all, JP Shibayama was a simple guy. He knew he helped a friend in need and that was a good enough reason to satisfy his conscience. And as long as JP felt happy with his decision, he could care less about the severe consequences that his actions might carry.

- - -

If Drew had a calendar with him, he would mark today down as one of his luckiest days. Not only did JP finally agree to vote with Drew in an alliance, he also caught an _enormous _fish for dinner tonight. Just like that, Drew realized that he had improved his status in Huntail tremendously. His tribe members viewed him too much as an asset to vote him off and his allies feared him too much to ever backstab him. Everything was going exactly his way. Drew wouldn't be going anywhere any time soon.

Just as Drew had predicted, his tribe members began showering him with endless praises as soon as they saw him arriving to shore, carrying that large Magikarp in his bare hands. They _loved _him. They _wanted _him. They _needed _him. The chain of compliments almost felt like soothing music to his ears and it boosted his already massive ego to a whole other level. Drew tried to restrain himself from flaunting his cocky attitude in front of his sensitive tribe members, although it was very, _very _tempting to.

"You should give the fish to Brock." TK said, beaming enthusiastically. "He's a great chef…he would know how to cook it into a delicious dinner!"

"Yes, I should." Drew said, looking around the camp for the tanned Pokemon Breeder. "Where is he?"

Several of the tribe members turned their heads and looked around, but nobody could find Brock anywhere in the Huntail camp. They speculated that he was somewhere in the forest collecting firewood with May, but nobody knew where or how to find him.

"Men are so unreliable…" Cassidy muttered in an irritated manner, folding her arms across her chest. "Does this mean we have to wait until he comes back before we can eat dinner?"

"Why don't you cook the fish?" Drew asked, looking up at the tall and feisty Team Rocket member.

"No. I'm not the domestic type. I don't cook." Cassidy lied, shaking her head.

_**Cassidy: **It's tricky to cook a fish because you've to leave it in the fire for just the right amount of time. Otherwise, you risk the possibility of ruining the entire fish. We didn't catch any fish back in Gorebyss, so I had no idea how to cook one. If I overcook the fish that Drew caught, these food-crazy lunatics would slaughter me to death. So hell no, I didn't want to be the one held responsible for cooking the fish! I don't want to be a target!_

"We don't have to wait for Brock to come back. I could cook the fish!" Takato suddenly suggested.

"You?" Drew asked in a tone that almost sounded like he wanted to laugh in ridicule. "Are you serious, Takato?"

"Yeah, give me a chance! I always sit beside Brock when he's cooking, so I learned a few things here and there," explained Takato. He smiled gently at the Pokemon Coordinator. "I can cook the fish."

Drew and Cassidy exchanged glances with each other. It was obvious that neither of them trusted Takato with the cooking.

"You…you don't look like you can cook that well," muttered Drew evasively.

"Look kid, I don't want to eat scorched fish tonight." Cassidy grumbled. "We should leave the fish in the hands of an expert."

"Someone who knows what they're doing," added Drew.

"Hey, c'mon…we can trust Takato with the cooking." TK frowned, not pleased with the condescending manner that Drew and Cassidy were displaying. "I have faith that Takato is perfectly capable of cooking the fish."

"It's great that you've such high hopes for him." Cassidy said dryly. "But I don't share your optimism."

"Don't underestimate Takato!" TK snapped, still frowning in disapproval.

"I'm sorry, but he doesn't look like the clever type. I think he's useless and he has no idea how to do anything without somebody supervising him." Cassidy continued. She quickly turned to Takato with a forced smile. "No offense, kid."

"That's not true…" Takato muttered.

"Anyway, let's just wait for Brock." Drew said, interrupting in the middle of Takato's sentence. "I don't mind waiting. Do you?"

"No, we should wait for him to come back from wherever he is," said Cassidy, smirking.

_**TK: **I don't appreciate how Cassidy and Drew talk down to Takato like he's an incompetent child who can't do anything on his own. That's an unfair judgment because Takato did a lot to prove his worth in this tribe. He may not be the strongest or the smartest person, but he knows what he's doing. If Takato thinks he can cook the fish, let him do it! Even if he messes up, Takato is capable of accepting responsibility for his mistakes._

He glared angrily at the cameras.

_**TK: **I'm not pleased at all with Cassidy and Drew's condescending attitudes. Both of them are way too arrogant. Drew wasn't even this bad until he started hanging around Cassidy. Cassidy brings the worst out of everyone. Cassidy needs to go._

"Hey, I think I see Brock and May!" Takato said, smiling happily. "They're coming back."

"Finally we can eat! Tell that guy to get his booty here immediately!" Cassidy said, grinning like a maniacal shark.

Brock smiled as he approached the group near the campfire. May followed behind him.

"Wow, that's a _big _fish, Drew! Good job!" Brock grinned, exchanging a high-five with Drew. "Let me guess, you want me to cook this fish, right?"

"Thank you, Brock!" Takato said enthusiastically.

"Hmm…why didn't you try cooking it, Takato?" Brock asked, turning his head towards the petite Tamer. "You should have tried! It's really not that hard to cook a fish."

"Nah, cooking is _your _job, Brock. I don't want to steal it from you." Takato smiled faintly at the Pokemon Breeder.

"No, don't say it like that." Brock said, putting his hand on Takato's shoulder in a reassuring manner. "The next time Drew catches a fish, you should try cooking it. I think you could do it, Takato."

"Really?" Takato asked.

"Yeah, you've watched me cook for the past two weeks! You're almost like my apprentice, little buddy!" Brock laughed.

Takato nodded his head and beamed.

_**Takato: **There's no other way to describe him. I think Brock is amazing. He's smart, he's strong, he's helpful, he's humble and he knows how to do almost everything. I…I sometimes compare myself to Brock and I realize how little I've accomplished in my life. I didn't even know how to cook until I've met Brock. But he taught me so much in the last sixteen days. I'm no longer the inexperienced and incapable Takato anymore. I know how to do a lot of things now, all thanks to Brock!_

He smiled modestly at the cameras.

_**Takato: **I still have a lot to learn though. That's why I don't want to leave the island yet…I still want to learn from Brock. He usually gives me lessons about survival, but that's not what I like most about him. I like Brock because he teaches me valuable lessons on how to live my life to the fullest extent._

- - -

**DAY 17**

Drew always prided in having sharp eyes and a pair of keen ears. In a game that was seething with secrecy, his vision and his hearing were two of the most valuable assets that a player could have in this game ("Other than my brilliant mind, of course." Drew added). Sometimes, he would use his evasive eyes to spy on his tribe members, although he never learned anything new or surprising. After all, it was not what Drew _saw _that mattered – it was what he _heard_, especially the conversations that he wasn't supposed to be listening to. And this morning, Drew heard something very, very interesting: somebody was whispering inside their shelter.

The vigilant Pokemon Coordinator had always assumed that whispering indicated _secrecy_. If a person had to lower his or her voice into a soft and inaudible whisper, then that person had something to hide. And right now, there was somebody who was about to exchange a secret with another person on this tribe. Drew kept his eyes closed to put on the pretence that he was still sleeping, so he couldn't see who the two people were. But like what any smart player would do, his keen ears were attentively listening to every word of the soft and quiet conversation.

"Wake up, sleepyhead. Let's go somewhere before the others wake up. I…I wanna give you something."

"Oh hey…where are we going?"

"Come with me. It'll be a surprise. Just come."

"I don't know if I like surprises..."

Then, Drew heard a soft, girlish giggle. No doubts about it, he knew that voice definitely belonged to May. And judging from the scratchy tone of the male voice, he speculated that the other person talking was probably JP.

"This is a _good _surprise, May." JP's voice whispered excitedly. "C'mon, let's go!"

Drew heard the shuffling of May and JP's feet as the two quietly climbed out of the shelter. Once they have left, the whispering had died out and silence filled inside the shelter yet again. Drew didn't dare to open his eyes until a few minutes have passed, only when he was certain that JP and May had departed to wherever they were going. But as Drew slowly woke up from his fake slumber, the first person he saw was neither JP nor May. It was Cassidy – she was awake as well.

"You were listening to them too, weren't you?" Cassidy asked, smirking. "Drew, you're a shady kid."

"Where do you think they're going?" Drew asked.

"Those two took the boat with them and left. I'm guessing it's that tiny island you folks tend to go to all the time," replied Cassidy, who was still a bit unfamiliar with the Huntail camp.

"And what do you think they'll do there?" Drew continued asking.

"I'm guessing he's trying to get a little _something something_ from the girl, you know what I mean?" Cassidy winked playfully at Drew.

"He's pretty obsessed with her," said Drew.

"Too bad he's way out of her league." Cassidy sniggered. "He's going to make a total ass out of himself."

_**Drew: **By now, both you and I can agree that JP is a big, fat and useless idiot. He's not somebody who can draw the line between his personal feelings and his strategy. For example, he'll never vote out a player that he likes, even if it means that he's in danger of getting voted off next. That's why I'm beginning to worry that his attachment to May will become a hindrance in the future. Or in other words, those two are getting in my way._

He smirked arrogantly at the cameras.

_**Drew: **Just like in a game of chess, any piece that's getting in the way of my checkmate will have to be eliminated._

JP was not experienced with driving the tribe's motorboat, since either Drew or Brock always took the responsibility of that job. So this morning, he was admittedly nervous to be sitting behind the steering wheel of the boat. Although JP felt butterflies flying in his stomach, he did his best to hide his uneasiness from his passenger, May. After all, this was his hour to shine. This was his moment to impress May, the object of his affection. This was not the time to make a fool out of himself.

As the two of them sailed out to the sea, the pair of friends exchanged a light and fun conversation together. There was several times that JP steered the wrong way by accident, so they didn't arrive at the exotic island as early as the Frontier had predicted. But JP felt that it was a win-win consideration, considering that any quality time with May was time well spent.

"I can't stand the suspense any longer! JP, why are we here?" May asked as JP parked the boat onto the shores of Shipwreck Island. The skinny girl hopped out of the boat and her male companioned followed behind her, wearing a keen and enthusiastic smile on his chubby face.

"Well, I know it's your birthday today!" JP grinned. "First of all, happy birthday, May!"

"Aww…is this what it's all about?" May smiled modestly at the grinning Frontier. "Thanks!"

"Birthdays are a really special occasion, so that's why I wanted to take you somewhere special to celebrate today!" JP continued. His head was dropped down and his gaze was uncharacteristically averted to the sand. "I'm really sorry that I don't have a birthday cake for you or anything…"

"It's okay! It's the thought that matters…" May beamed appreciatively.

"I…uh, I got you a small gift." JP laughed. He shoved his right hand in his pockets as he searched for his present.

"JP, you didn't have to-" May gasped, but JP gestured her to stop talking. He pulled the present out of his pocket – it was a small bottle of shampoo.

"Oh my gosh! Thank you!" May grinned as she received the bottle from JP. "Is this shampoo?"

"Yeah, I know it's not much." JP smiled, looking slightly embarrassed. "I won that bottle of shampoo in the reward challenge yesterday, but I didn't show it to anybody until now. I saved it up just for you." He laughed. "It's yours to keep! You don't have to share the shampoo with the rest of us guys!"

"I _love _it." May smiled. She paused for a second as if to think something over, but she eventually walked towards JP and gave him a brief hug. "Thank you for the present, but I think I'm going to share it with the rest of the tribe." She paused again. "It just doesn't feel right to keep this present all to myself."

"No problem! You can do whatever you want with it." JP grinned.

_**JP: **It's May's birthday today. I decided that a special girl like her needs to be treated something special. I wanted her day to start off with a bang and I think I succeeded. Dude, mission accomplished!_

"You're a really thoughtful guy, JP." May smiled. Both she and JP were sitting on the sand together, gazing aimlessly at the ocean. "I bet you'll make a really great husband for a girl one day."

"Dude, I'm going to stay as a bachelor forever! If I win this game, I'll spend my money to buy myself an awesome bachelor pad!" JP laughed heartily. "No, no, no! I'm just kidding around."

May giggled. She leaned her arm against JP's shoulder and grinned.

"That's what I like about you, JP. You're _so _cool. You're like the older brother that I never have!" May laughed.

"Oh yeah! I'll put that on my resume…May's imaginary older brother!" JP grinned back at the skinny Pokemon Coordinator.

Suddenly, JP sighed loudly, as if there was something bothering him. May looked at him with a puzzled expression.

"What's wrong?" May asked, sounding concerned.

"Hey May, I know we've a really good friendship going." JP began. The enthusiastic grin slowly faded from his face. "But I…no, never mind. It's stupid."

"What is it? You can tell me!" May said with eagerness in her voice. "We _are _friends. You can tell me anything!"

"Actually, it's a question." JP muttered. "Can you promise me something?"

"Promise?" May asked, looking a bit uncomfortable with the word. "What kind of promise?"

"I know it's your birthday and this might not be really appropriate, but…" JP smiled weakly at the brunette. "But you already know that I'll never write your name down _ever_. I'll die and go straight to hell before I cast a vote against you in this game."

May nodded cautiously, but she didn't say anything in response.

"Can you promise me that you'll never vote for me in this game, May?" JP asked.

"Wow. Oh wow. That's a biggie." May widened her eyes in surprise. "I wasn't expecting that."

"Oh, this is so stupid! I can't believe I just asked you that." JP shook his head rapidly. "I don't want to let this game ruin our friendship. Just…just forget about it!"

"JP…" May said, looking uneasily at the Frontier. "I don't know if I can promise…"

"No, really. Forget about it!" JP sighed. "It's just that…it's so hard to not have anybody I can trust in this game. And I thought I could trust you, but…" He paused as he looked at May directly in her awestruck eyes. "But clearly, you don't trust me."

May's head dropped guiltily into her knees. She didn't say anything in response, but it was obvious from her shaky appearance that she felt very vulnerable right now.

"But it's alright. I guess I was a bit naïve to think that I can keep my closest friends around until the end of the game." JP continued as he spoke in a dramatic tone. "Oh well. Let's forget this conversation ever took place…"

May slowly pulled her head up from her knees again. A weak smile spread across her face.

"You know what?" She said, brushing a few strands of brown hair from her cat-like blue eyes. "I'll do it. I'll promise you that I'll never vote for you."

_**JP: **Yeah, I did play up my emotional speech just a little when I was talking to May. I mean, I felt horrible doing it, but making her feel guilty about our friendship is the best form of persuasion. I don't know if what Drew has been telling me is true or not. But up until now, I've no guarantees that May will be loyal to me or not. She and her friends could have easily voted me out at the next tribal council and I could do nothing except curse at them in my final words._

He smiled sheepishly at the cameras.

_**JP: **Hopefully with this pact, I can have May's word that she'll never cast a vote against me at tribal council. And hey, that's one less vote to worry about! May will keep her word with me, I think…_

"Really? I mean…I don't want to force you into doing something that you don't want to do!" JP said, although his voice sounded a little too eager and excited in order for his words to be genuine. "Are you really sure about this, May? You…you can't break promises, you know?"

"This is my choice based on my own free will. I promise that I'll never vote for you, JP. And in return, I hope you do the same for me." May said, smiling. She extended her arm for a handshake. "Promise?"

"Promise!" JP laughed as he grabbed May's hand and shook it. "Oh man, I know it's your birthday today, but this must be the best present for me ever!"

May smiled faintly at her enthusiastic companion, but she did not reply back. She just sat there on the beach, with her long arms and legs stretched out comfortably on the sand. She stared aimlessly at the sky, enjoying the rays of sunshine that was soaking into her big, blue eyes. JP turned his head towards her and attempted to read the ambiguous expression on her face. He didn't know if May was as happy as he was about this pact that they just made, although as far as JP was concerned, she didn't appear sad either.

But it was difficult for JP to correctly interpret that vacant and carefree look she wore. It actually intrigued him a little, knowing that May was feeling a particular emotion at the moment – but he just couldn't identify _which_ emotion.

May be it was excitement.

May be it was frustration.

May be it was regret.

- - -

After four devastating challenge losses, the number of people in the Gorebyss tribe had been reduced by half. Unfortunately, the amount of work that needed to be done remained the same, so this meant that each individual member had to contribute even more labour around the camp. Takuya and Rika would joke that the absence of Delia and Mimi didn't make a significant difference on their work load, considering that those two women didn't do any work when they were in the game.

"I like it better when there are less people in our tribe." Rika had said to her tribe as the four of them ate lunch together. "Less chatter, less nuisance and less mouths to be fed."

"And I actually get to sleep inside the shelter! I don't have to sleep outside in the sand anymore!" Takuya added, spitting out some rice as he spoke.

"Don't talk while you're eating, goggle-head. You might choke yourself," muttered Rika.

Casey sighed softly and looked away. Despite what Rika and Takuya's reasoning, Casey still believed that the absence of _any _tribe member hindered the growth of Gorebyss. Whether it was Delia or Mimi or even Suzie, the petite baseball lover thought that each person voted out of Gorebyss had provided an important role to the tribe. But Casey never expressed any of her strong opinions in front of Takuya or Rika. She was smart enough to keep her big mouth shut and not say anything to provoke the short-tempered pair. After all, it wasn't as if they didn't have enough reasons to vote Casey out already!

_**Casey: **In a game of baseball, a player would be out after three strikes. Right now, I'm pretty sure I've three strikes against me. Let's see: Rika's vote…strike one. Takuya's vote…strike two. James' vote…strike three. Yep, strike ouuuuuuut!_

She smiled weakly at the cameras.

_**Casey: **I would be lying if I said that I wasn't upset about my situation, because I'm feeling really, really devastated. I have to watch three of my closest friends leave me in the past four days. Delia and Mimi were voted off against my will and Cassidy is now on the other tribe. I've lost everything…my friends, my alliance, and my safety. I've never felt so alone in my entire life. I have nothing and I'm all alone. This sucks._

The odds against Casey didn't look favourable at all. Although there wasn't a lot of talk about strategy, the unanimous opinion around camp was that Casey would be the next person voted off. Unsurprisingly, neither Takuya nor Rika felt bad about the decision that they might possibly have to make. Sure, they both knew that Casey had more energy and enthusiasm than anybody in the game. Sure, they both acknowledged that Casey contributed a lot around the camp. Sure, they both understood that Casey was a team player who only wanted the tribe to unite together and finally win a challenge. But despite her strengths in many areas, the hugest mark against Casey was her devoted allegiance to the wretched Cassidy, whom Takuya and Rika both despised. And therefore, Casey had to go.

The newcomer, James, had momentarily felt pity for Casey. In his opinion, it seemed like a shallow and narrow-minded reason to vote for a person simply based on her friendship to a certain player who was no longer in this tribe. It was almost as bad as Huntail wanting to vote him out because of his past as a Team Rocket member. But James never claimed to be a crusader for fairness and equal rights. He might have felt empathetic, but James wasn't stupid. There was no way he would risk his neck to save a little girl whom he met for four days.

"She might be a nice girl, but I'm not a saint." James explained to the cameras. He shrugged his shoulders casually. "Besides, I'm just watching out for myself."

Casey's fate was sealed, or so it seemed.

She still had one hope – one tiny beacon of light in this dark and gloomy tunnel. If only she could win the upcoming immunity challenge, she would be safe. The coveted immunity idol would guarantee her three more days on the island, three more days of hope. And as long as there was hope, Casey would not give up.

"I'm stoked about the immunity challenge, James!" Casey exclaimed as she and James went to retrieve treemail for the immunity challenge. "I don't know why, but I have a really good feeling that we can win this one!"

"You think so?" James said. He wore a small and dainty smile on his handsome face. "It would be amazing if we actually won."

"Yeah! Today is gonna be _our _day. Just watch and see, Gorebyss is gonna stomp the other tribe in the immunity challenge!" Casey grinned.

James laughed. He placed a hand on Casey's shoulder and smiled compassionately at her.

"I don't know how you do it, Casey. You lose challenges after challenges, but you still never give up. It would be normal for a person to feel dejected, but you…you're different. After every loss, you can get back on your feet in no time." James said. "Your combination of patience and perseverance is deadly."

"Just try harder and never give up." Casey beamed. "That's my motto in life."

_**Casey: **This immunity challenge is very important to me. If we don't win it, I'm screwed. We might not have won an immunity challenge in a long time, but that doesn't mean it is impossible. As long as our hearts are in the right place, our determination could get us through anything._

She punched her fist into the palm of her right hand.

_**Casey: **I'm gonna go out there and give it my best shot. I'll put in my 110 effort just like I do in every challenge. But no matter what happens, win or lose, I will never give up!_

- - -

Behind the Huntail camp was a large and dense forest, swarmed with dozens of animals and hundreds of trees. Most tribe members avoided going into the core of the forest, especially since TK's encounter with a grizzly bear several days ago. But every day, Brock went inside the forest anyway. There was work that had to be completed in the forest, whether he liked it or not. On some days, he would bring a machete with him as he hacked down tree branches for firewood. On other days, he would explore the forest with May and Takato as the trio forged for food together.

"Are you feeling okay, May?" Brock asked. "You haven't been acting like yourself ever since you got back from your trip with JP."

"Huh?" May gasped. She quickly covered her embarrassment with a nervous laugh. "Yeah! Yeah, I'm fine!"

May turned her head towards a nearby tree and watched Takato slowly climbed down from it. As he walked back to where Brock and May were standing, she saw that he was carrying three apples in his hands. Takato grinned as he dropped the fruits in a pot that was by May's feet.

"Good job, Takato!" Brock smiled appreciatively. He clapped his hands together. "Okay, I think we've collected enough apples for the day. We should start heading back."

"Brock, can we take a short break?" Takato asked. He slumped down on the grass and leaned his head against a tree.

"Why not?" Brock nodded his head. He sat down beside Takato and grinned. "We all deserve a little rest every now and then."

"I agree! It's just so relaxing to sit in the shade like this!" May added as she sat down to the left of Takato. She sighed dreamily. "Ah, this is the life!"

_**Brock: **The key to success in Survivor is having a group of friends who will remain loyal to you. There's no point of building an alliance if nobody trusts each other. I'm very lucky in that I have two very loyal friends by my side. Unlike the others, our alliance is built on a foundation of trust. We know that we'll never betray each other, so that's why we have stayed together for so long._

"Hey May, I know I've said this to you before, but…" Takato smiled sheepishly at the Coordinator. "Happy birthday, May!"

"Here, pretend this is a birthday cake." Brock grabbed an apple from the pot and handed it over to May. "Close your eyes and make a wish."

"Brock, that doesn't even _look _like a cake!" Takato laughed.

"It's the thought that counts." Brock chuckled. He elbowed May lightly in the shoulder. "Right, May?"

"I'm using my imagination and I picture that I'm eating a strawberry cheesecake with a chocolate milkshake on the side." May giggled, licking her lips as she spoke. She took a nibble out of the apple that she was holding. "Mmm…delicious! _Simply _delicious!"

Takato and Brock laughed.

"You guys…" May said, smiling appreciatively at the two men. "You guys are the best friends that I could ever ask for."

"Me too." Takato blushed. "I'm so glad I met you two."

"This game would have been really different if we started out on different tribes," said Brock.

"Totally!" May nodded her head, adding, "I probably wouldn't have survived on the Gorebyss tribe!"

"Everything happens for a reason." Takato said. "Destiny or fate or whatever it's called, _something _brought the three of us together right from the start."

"Yeah…" May said quietly.

An air of silence fell upon the trio. Takato turned to his left side and glanced at May, who was uncomfortably looking away. Then, he turned over to Brock and watched his uneasy reaction as well. Neither of them said anything to him.

"Do you guys think that the three of us could make it to the end together?" Brock finally asked. His voice sounded low and solemn. "Is that even a possibility?"

Silence again.

"I…I don't know." May replied.

"They might try to vote us out because the three of us are so close together." Brock continued, "If we make it to the merge together, they will target us because of our strong bond."

More silence.

"I don't care. No matter what happens, I'm going to stick with you two for the rest of the game," said Takato. "And I hope that the three of us will be in the Final Three together."

"Same here!" May said, feigning a chipper tone in her voice.

"Yeah, the three of us…final three…" Brock grinned. "We'll work together until the bitter end! They can't tear us apart!"

_**Takato: **Sometimes, I wonder if I'm cut out for this game. I never liked lying or deceiving people, even though that's supposed to be a huge part of the game. Luckily, I never had the opportunity to do much of either, because we've won most of the immunity challenges. May be it put me in a false sense of security, but nuh-uh, nothing you say can convince me that going to tribal council is a good thing._

The petite Tamer was sitting on the ground as he spoke to the cameras. His hands were clutching nervously onto his ankles.

_**Takato: **The only time we lost, my friends were there to support me. I know that Brock and May will always have my back and I'm very grateful for that._

"Brock, Takato…" May paused as she turned around and looked at the two men nervously. "I have to tell you something."

"What is it?" Brock asked, grinning nonchalantly.

"I…I made a pact with JP this morning. I promised him that I'm not going to vote for him," muttered May.

"Whoa!" Brock exclaimed. He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "That's not good. Why…why did you make such a deal with him?"

"Didn't we decide a long time ago that we're going to vote JP out if we go to tribal council?" Takato asked, although he sounded uncertain in his tone of voice.

"I'm sorry, but I just felt so bad. I couldn't say no to him…" May frowned. She dropped her head into her hands. "I'm so sorry."

"It's alright, May." Brock patted his friend on her shoulder. "It might not be the smartest thing to do, but I don't blame you for it. Don't worry."

"We can always vote Drew out, right?" May asked, pulling her head up from her hands. "Besides, JP promised us that he would stay loyal to Huntail if we spared him at the next vote. We really should consider his offer!"

"I know you don't like Drew because he's a bit of an asshole…" Brock said. He folded his arms across his chest. "But that kid is going to be loyal to us when the merge comes."

He nodded his head as if to reassure himself what he was saying.

"JP will flatter us with proposals because he's in a desperate mode. He's a good kid, but he lacks sincerity in his words. People can lie, but the facts are always truthful. And the fact remains that Drew voted _with _us at the first tribal council, when JP and TK both cast votes _against _us." Brock shook his head in a disapproving manner. "I can never trust them after they tried to vote Takato out."

"Well…" May sighed. "Are we sure that Drew is going to vote with us in tribal council?"

"I trust Drew with my entire life." Brock said, smiling confidently. "Did you forget about our plans, May? He's the fourth man in our alliance. He's not going to betray us."

"Wait, if we aren't going to vote for JP, then who are the four of us going to vote out?" Takato asked.

"Cassidy has the immunity necklace, so it has to be TK…" May murmured.

"I'm okay with that. His leg injury makes him a liability in challenges." Brock shrugged his shoulders. "He's going to sit out another immunity challenge today. I can't help but feel that we're carrying him to the merge."

"And on the other hand, JP won a reward challenge for us yesterday," added May. "That alone proves JP is more worthy of staying in the game than TK."

"That's true…" Takato slowly nodded his head.

Although he did like TK as a person, Takato understood that TK was weaker than JP in physical challenges. And because of his injury, TK also had to rest more in the shelter, so he also did _less _work than JP at camp. Even in terms of strategy, TK put in less of a visible effort to save himself from the vote, whereas JP had been campaigning to stay since he realized he was in the minority.

May and Brock were right – JP did deserve to stay longer in the game. After weeks of hard work, he finally earned that right.

And at that moment, TK Takaishi became the new replacement on the chopping block.

- - -

When the two tribes arrived for the immunity challenge, Professor Birch made a shocking announcement.

"This will be your last tribal immunity challenge," said Professor Birch. "After today, all of your immunity challenges will be individual, since you'll be merging into one tribe soon."

Casey smiled confidently at the professor. This was it – her one and only hope of staying in the game. If she could win this immunity challenge, she would avoid tribal council and secured herself three more days in the game. She would also be able to escape from her precarious position in Gorebyss and increase her chances of survival if she made it to the merge. If only.

"Bring it on, professor!" Takuya exclaimed. He pointed his index finger at the golden Pokeball that Cassidy was holding. "We're bringing home that sucker today!"

"First things first, I'll need the immunity idol back." Professor Birch received the golden Pokeball from Cassidy. He held it up proudly in the air. "This is the last time you'll be playing for it! Immunity is back up for grabs!"

Cassidy glared at the four members in the Gorebyss tribe and smirked.

"On each of my side is a locked treasure chest, one for each tribe to carry. Both of them are filled completely with sand inside." Professor Birch explained. "For today's challenge, two members of your tribe will have to carry that treasure chest as they run as deep into the ocean as possible. One hand must stay on the treasure chest at all times." He paused and waited as his words seeped into the players' heads. "They will have three minutes to run as far as possible. After those three minutes, two other members from the opposite tribe will enter into the ocean and try to chase after the people with the treasure chest. Whoever touches the opposing tribe's treasure chest will win immunity!"

A few players nodded their heads. Brock was already developing a strategy and explaining it to Takato and Drew, who were standing by the Breeder's side.

"Huntail, you have three extra members, so you've to sit three players out. JP has to be one of them, since he participated in the reward challenge today." Professor Birch explained. "Who else is going to sit out?"

"May and I are going to sit out this one, professor." TK said, raising his hand.

"Now, each tribe has to choose two people who will carry their treasure chest and two people who will chase after the other tribe's pair," said the professor.

The teams were quickly assembled. For the Gorebyss tribe, Takuya and James were going to carry the treasure chest, while Rika and Casey were going to the chasers. For the Huntail tribe, Brock and Cassidy volunteered to hold the treasure chest, while Drew and Takato would swim after the other tribe.

"Everybody, get into your positions! When I say go, the people who are carrying the treasure chests will have three minutes to swim as far into the ocean as possible." Professor Birch said, "After three minutes, the chasers will go into the ocean and swim after them." The eight participants nodded in comprehension.  
"Survivors ready? Go!"

Takuya grabbed his hand on a handle of the red treasure chest, while James grabbed another handle on the other side. The two men lifted the treasure chest from the air and began jogging with it. They were both surprised to find out how _heavy _the weight was. A large container filled completely with sand had a lot more mass than either anticipated. James briefly glimpsed over at the other tribe. Huntail was also struggling with carrying their treasure chests away.

"Don't lift it up! Drag it!" Cassidy screamed into Brock's ear. Realizing that their movement was slow, the quick-witted Team Rocket member changed strategies. It proved to be effective and gave Huntail a slight lead as they dragged their treasure chest into the ocean first.

Once at the sea, Cassidy and Brock had a difficult time trying to swim and pull the treasure chest with them. Brock had a difficult time clutching onto the handle of the treasure chest, while Cassidy had problem staying afloat in the midst of the waves. Although they did have a twenty-second lead over the other tribe, they made very little progress as Gorebyss caught up.

Soon, both pairs got the basic technique of swimming in the water and carrying the treasure chest at the same time. Neither tribes were moving very quickly, but they did manage to isolate themselves a fair distance away from the shoreline. Meanwhile, the chasers were doing exercises and stretches as preparation for going out into the ocean.

"C'mon, Huntail! C'mon! C'mon!" Casey yelled enthusiastically into the sea. Both tribes were evenly matched in the race, but Casey's imagination had hoped that Gorebyss scored a slight lead over Huntail.

"Three minutes are up! Chasers, you may go!" Professor Birch announced.

The four swimmers frantically ran into the water, with Drew arriving first. He launched himself into the sea and began swimming, although Casey followed very closely behind him. The two Tamers, Takato and Rika, were slightly behind the two agile swimmers.

It was very obvious that the chasers were swimming at a much quicker pace than those who were carrying an extremely heavy treasure chest. The small and skinny Drew was the most agile in water as he swam gracefully in the sea, chasing after James and Takuya. By now, physical exhaustion had taken a tow on Casey and she seemed to be losing a bit of steam in the water. The gap between Drew and her was becoming visibly larger as they swam.

Rika, who was the last person to dive into the water, picked up her pace and fared a lot better in the water than she did on land. She quickly caught up to Casey and even surpassed her a few seconds later. Although she was still behind Drew, Rika was making surprising progress as she chased after Cassidy and Brock, who both seemed to be struggling in the water a bit.

"He's behind us! Crap!" Takuya muttered when he saw that Drew was approaching closer and closer to him. "We have to move faster, James!"

"I _know_!" James said in frustration. He kicked his feet harder in the water as an attempt to pace up.

While Drew was closing in the distance between him and the Gorebyss tribe members, Rika was making even _better _progress with her surprisingly swift swimming. Cassidy was having a tough time dragging the aquatic blue treasure chest through the waves and was even slowing Brock down in his swimming. This gave Rika time to bring herself closer to the Huntail team. Very soon, she found herself trailing very closely behind Brock and Cassidy.

So close…

So close that if only she reached her arm, she would be able to touch the other tribe's treasure chest…

Rika extended her right arm out into the air, hoping that the tip of her fingers would touch any part of the treasure chest…

And she succeeded.

"Gorebyss wins immunity!" Professor Birch exclaimed, raising both of his arms. "Finally!"

"YEAH!" Takuya screamed. He pumped his fist energetically in the air. "Take _that, _Huntail! We won! We did it!"

"Way to go, Rika!" James squealed in joy. Rika flashed him a small, defiant grin.

"Unfortunately, this means that the winning streak for Huntail tribe is over. You'll go to tribal council tomorrow and one of you will be voted off," said Professor Birch, turning towards the three Huntail members who were sitting on the beach.

"What a great birthday present, huh?" May said dryly. JP patted her on the back and muttered words of empty consolation.

"Gorebyss!" Professor Birch shouted. "Swim back to shore and retrieve your immunity idol!"

Casey began swimming back to shore, wearing a large and joyous grin on her boyish face. Even from a distance, she could still see the golden sphere that Professor Birch held gloriously in his hands. Although she had seen the idol for many times, it had never looked so beautiful, so poignant, and so magnificent before.

In this symbolically significant victory, Casey not only won three more days on the island and a guaranteed spot in the merged tribe. But she also won hope – hope for her future in this game.

A future that seemed so momentarily bright… 

- - -

**DAY 18**

The eighteenth day of Survivor began as a sunny and windless morning. On days like these, a slothful group of Seels, the cute and bubbly seal Pokemon, would climb onto the shores of Shipwreck Island and sunbathe in the sand. On more than one occasion, Drew had voiced in his opinion that Huntail should kill these peaceful sea creatures and eat them for food. Although it sounded like a cruel idea, Drew insisted that eating these nutritious animals would greatly benefit their strength and survival as a tribe. But to this day, the Huntail tribe had yet captured a single Seel for food, mainly because of Takato's repeated interference.

Despite Drew's logic, Takato strongly believed that his tribe should not disturb the natural life cycle of these seals. After all, these creatures have been living peacefully on Shipwreck Island long before Huntail discovered the island. Even though Drew had tried pointing out the hypocrisy behind his argument ("What's the difference between killing a Seel and killing all those fish in the sea?"), the rest of the tribe supported Takato on this matter. And thus, the fun-loving Seels on this island were protected from being the breakfast, lunch and dinner of Huntail.

"Seel! Seel! Seel!"

The energetic cries of the Seels echoed in the air. Takato felt a huge grin spread across his face as he heard their voices.

"I can hear them from here!" Takato turned his head around and grinned at his companion, Brock. "The Seels are really cheerful, aren't they?"

"Yeah…" Brock chuckled. As an afterthought, he added, "Kind of like _you_, Takato."

The two men from Huntail appeared relaxed as they lounged luxuriously inside their tribe's white motorboat. While Takato was the passenger, Brock sat behind the steering wheel and navigated through the calm waves of the ocean. Through his squinty eyes, he could spot the distant island in front of them. That was Shipwreck Island. Ever since they discovered it in the first week, this small and exotic island quickly became a relaxing hideaway for many of the players.

From what Brock could recall, he vaguely remembered the fascinating legend behind Shipwreck Island. It was all over the newspapers in the Pokemon World when it happened - a famous luxury cruise had an unfortunate and unexpected accident in a vicious whirlpool, causing it to disappear near the coasts of Dewford Islands. The rescue team had searched for months in hopes of finding a survivor, but all they found in the sea were the mashed and mangled bodies of the crash victims. As the weeks passed, people began losing hope and soon, they accepted that everybody was dead, and even then, not all the bodies would be found.

But one day, a miracle happened. A helicopter spotted an unidentified island with a faint smoke signal rising in the air. As they investigated further, they discovered Shipwreck Island, which coincidentally turned out to be the place where the ten survivors habituated after the crash. They were immediately evacuated from the small and hidden island, much to the joy of everybody across the world. Although the tragic tales of their experiences had been horrific and depressing, the important lesson in this story was that they were all alive. No - that was not true. Out of the ten survivors who arrived on Shipwreck Island, only eight of them made it alive. One frail old woman died due to physical exhaustion in the first week, sad but understandable given her conditions.

What puzzled Brock the most was the death of the _other _person. He was the young and athletic ship captain, the person in charge of navigating the cruise that crashed. Various survivors reported that the ship captain used his natural leadership skills to make arrangements and help the survivors adapt to their new lives on the island. One even stated that they would all be dead without food had it not been the selfless captain. But yet, he died from hunger long before the helicopter arrived. And although there had been no solid evidence about this, many speculated that his death was due to malice and foul play. The survivors were traitors. They saw the captain as the reason why the cruise crashed, the origin of their months of despair and misery. And so, they killed him - by tying the captain up and starving him to death.

They betrayed the noble and selfless captain who helped the survivors live and survive…

Brock didn't know why, but this story always gave him the creeps._****_

Takato: During my spare time, I really like going to Shipwreck Island to relax and recollect my thoughts. When you have to live with the same people for this many days, you…you sometimes want to be left alone. And the island provides just that - privacy and isolation. It's my little sanctuary in Survivor, heh.

"I can't believe we have to go to tribal council tonight. It's been…so long." Takato muttered. He paused for a small sigh. "It's depressing to think about it."

"Then _don't _think about it!" Brock wore a nonchalant grin on his goofy face. "Ignorance is bliss!"

"Ha…you're right." Takato nodded his head, albeit a bit defiantly.

"Let's talk about something else." Brock said, still grinning. "Something more positive."

Takato didn't reply to the Pokemon Breeder for a while. After the two of them arrived on the island, they aimlessly walked around, gazing and absorbing the beauty of the island scenery. A group of Seels were lying slothfully on the sand. Some clapped their paws together in enthusiasm, seemingly happy at the arrival of the two men. Others were less energetic, for they slept lazily in the sand. Takato felt a sense of pride when he looked at these peaceful creatures on the beach. _This _was how nature was supposed to be. He was very glad that he had stood up against Drew for what he believed in.

"Hey Takato, I was wondering…" Brock raised an eyebrow as he turned towards his short, goggle-headed companion. "Do you have a girl that you like?"

Takato blushed slightly on his cheeks. He also looked a bit startled to be asked this question.

"Umm…why do you ask?" Takato replied meekly, hoping for a way to avert from answering this question.

"Huh? You see, I like a lot of girls." Brock grinned goofily, followed by a quick and casual shrug. "I just thought it would be cool if we could share notes." He laughed as he raised his pinkie in front of Takato's face. "So? Do you have a special someone in your heart?"

"Well...there _is _somebody I…" Takato said unconsciously. He shook his head. "No, never mind."

"Oh, come on! You always looked up to me for advice and I always provide you with such good ones!" Brock chuckled. "Not to mention I'm the love expert! I experienced so many heartbreaks with women, I know everything about them! Just ask me! Is there a girl that you're having troubles with?"

"No really, it's nothing…" Takato flashed a weak and unconvincing smile to his older mentor.

"Takato!" Brock put both of his hands on his hips, staring at Takato in a slightly disapproving manner. "You can trust me with girl problems!"

"Brock!" Takato gasped, covering his mouth with his left hand. "Look!"

"Don't try to change the subject now, Takato…"

"No! Look, Brock!" Takato exclaimed, shooting his index finger at a particular direction. 

Brock followed his invisible line of vision and finally saw what Takato's eyes had spotted seconds ago - there was an unconscious Seel lying by a large boulder on the beach. Without hesitation, both men dashed towards the beach and reached where the Seel was lying, with its fat body spread like an eagle.

"How is it, Brock?" Takato asked, sounding concerned.

The toned Pokemon Breeder didn't respond instantly. He was too busy inspecting the body of the Seel. In between intervals, he could be heard grunting and mumbling unintelligibly. They weren't optimistic sounds to Takato's ears.

"This isn't good." Brock finally spoke up. "It's not doing too well."

"W…what's wrong with it?" Takato exclaimed.

"I think that during the hide tides, the sea waves must have carried this baby Seel with it, making it crash into that boulder." Brock sighed and shook his head. "That poor thing must have knocked its head on the boulder and fell unconscious or something."

"How can we help the Seel?" Takato groaned.

"Not much, but…" Brock averted his eyes elsewhere away from the Seel's body. "We do have a first-aid kit in our camp supplies. May be that will help…"

Although the Breeder's voice sounded uncertain, Takato was willing to grasp on any possibility to help this severely injured Seel recover.

"Let's go then!" Takato shouted. He began running towards where their motorboat was parked. "We have to bring it back to camp for treatment!"

"Okay, okay. I'm coming after you." Brock said. He kneeled down and carefully picked up the baby Seel's body in his gentle hands. He then chased after Takato and joined him in the motorboat.

"Everything is going to be okay…" Takato whispered in the Seel's ear. It didn't respond back.

"I wonder why it's separated from the other Seels on the beach." Brock suddenly asked. "The other Seels must have seen its condition, but they are ignoring…"

"May be he was an outcast," suggested Takato.

"An outcast?" Brock asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Judging from its small and awkward appearance, he doesn't seem to be very strong. He doesn't seem to belong with the other Seels on the island." Takato explained in a very soft voice. "He just didn't fit in, no matter how hard he tried to prove his worth that he isn't weak."

Takato paused. He looked up at Brock with a faint smile on his boyish face.

"He's a bit like me at the beginning of the game, I guess…"

"Takato…" Brock muttered, but he seemed to be at a loss of words.

Although Takato Matsuki was normally appeared very cheerful and friendly towards everybody on the tribe, Brock had seen the _other _side to the goggle-head a few times. He saw it on his face.

Underneath Takato's cheerful smile, there was a lost little boy who seemed so lonely, so insecure, and so detached from reality…_****_

Brock: We found an injured Seel on Shipwreck Island today. Knowing its severe condition, we just couldn't leave it lying there, so we brought it back to camp. After some treatment, it's doing okay now. It didn't wake up yet, but I think the Seel would recover over time. Takato and I are very glad about this.

He smiled thinly at the cameras._****_

Brock: Takato has been very affectionate towards this baby Seel, mostly because he sees a mirror image of himself inside. Both of them must feel the same helplessness and isolation. But I believe that a fragile creature can recover through gentleness, patience and most importantly, compassion. Takato might be a fragile person before, but I truly believe, from the bottom of my heart, that he has strengthened into a stronger and more confident man.

- - -

May was a worrier. She had many sleepless nights on the island because she was constantly worrying about the future. Back at home, she often worried about how others perceived her - her appearance, her personality, her image, and much more. And in this game, May was also worrying. She not only worried about her survival in this risky and unpredictable game, but she was also concerned about her friends. Sometimes, May felt like she had the responsibility of watching over three people's backs. She had to make sure that at every tribal she attended, there was a no-doubt guarantee that she and her friends would survive to see the next one.

But her attempts were futile. May would always worry, no matter what the others say to comfort her. After all, she was a worrier.

However, that didn't stop her from prodding questions and seeking promises about the upcoming vote. May was not only worried, but she was also suspicious. Compared to all the chaos that happened the first time, everything seemed too peaceful and easy right now. There was a plan that TK would be voted out next with four votes cast by Brock, May, Takato and Drew, an alliance built in the early days of Huntail. 

Was it still intact? Or did somebody have a wandering mind?_****_

May: Brock and Takato…I know I can put my complete trust on them. It's Drew who I'm worrying about. I don't care what you say about him. He's a liar and a manipulator, that's all there is to him. Brock thinks he's faithful to us, but there's just something that bothers me about him. Something suspicious, something insincere, something…something that makes me think his allegiance is not with us.

May crossed her arms across her chest and pouted._****_

May: I need Drew to confirm that TK will be voted off at the next tribal council. He's the all-important fourth vote that we must have. While I don't think I can trust any promise Drew makes me, I'd feel slightly better about it if I hear his promise in actual words. But then again, who knows? Who knows what Drew is thinking? I certainly don't…

Hours before tribal council, she cornered Drew in the forest. May had found him sitting under the shade of a tree with his eyes closed. He was probably sleeping before she interrupted, or may be he was meditating? May didn't know or care. She just wanted an answer, a proof, a confirmation that Drew was still aligned with them.

"Hello, may I sit next to you?" May politely greeted the short, green-haired boy.

There was an awkward pause between the two Coordinators. Drew opened his right eye, looking amused to see May.

"Is there something you want from me?" Drew asked, sounding a bit blunt yet cautious.

"I want…" May said as she took an uninvited seat beside Drew by the tree. "I want you to promise me that you'll vote with us at tribal council."

"Is that all?" Drew asked. He closed his eyes again, but the smirk on his face grew larger and smugger. May was asking something _from _him. He was the one in control. And that made him feel very powerful over this situation.

"Drew, we made an alliance together when we voted Butch out!" May raised her voice. She hated to let Drew manipulate her emotions like this, but she suddenly felt very angry after hearing his calm and collected voice. "Brock, Takato, you and I…we are a four-person team! We put our complete trust on you and you've to honour that trust!"

"I'm sorry, but why…why are you telling me this?" Drew asked quietly.

May paused. She was caught off-guard with this surprising question.

"Uh…well…" May cringed a little. "I didn't know if you're still going to be loyal to us. Cassidy arrived in our tribe and I…I just don't know anymore. You seem too relaxed for your own good."

"May, do you remember what I promised you?" Drew chuckled.

"I know, I know. But…" May narrowed her eyes at Drew. She looked very serious. "I need you to confirm that you're loyal to us. I want to hear the words from your mouth."

Another pause occurred between the two of them. The pause didn't feel too long for Drew's words to seem hesitant, yet it didn't feel too short either for his words to seem insincere. On the calm Coordinator's face, he had a stoic and unresponsive expression that May couldn't read. Was he thinking about the decision? She wondered, but she would never know. Finally, the usual arrogant smirk returned to his face.

"May, trust me." Drew replied in a manner that was not too loud, nor too soft. 

Secretly, May cursed him under her breath. Even the tone of his voice was adjusted in that enigmatic and mysterious attitude. She couldn't read him at all.

"Don't worry. You won't see your name come up in tribal council." He continued. The smirk on his face was consistently smug. "Just like we promised."

"How about Brock? Or Takato?" May asked.

"The same goes for them." Drew said without hesitation.

"Good, that's what I wanted to hear." May accidentally let a small smile escape from her consciousness. She got up from her seat. "Okay, thanks for reassuring me. I hope you keep your end of the promise, or I'll never trust you again. Whatever you do, just remember that, Drew."

Drew didn't say anything. He just smirked._****_

Drew: Sooner or later, I'm going to have May removed from this game. To me, she has been nothing but an annoyance in my strategic plans. Right now, I don't have the capability to vote her off and that's because of her ridiculous popularity with the tribe and JP's stubbornness to vote off a close 'friend'.

As he said the word 'friend', he used a tone so full of ridicule and mockery that it was obvious Drew was scoffing at the idea of genuine friendship in this game._****_

Drew: Anyway, May isn't going to be in power for long. She thinks that everything will go her way and TK will be voted off tonight. She expects her perfect alliance of three to stay intact and continue its dominance through the merge. What the spoiled princess doesn't know is that her fairy-tale dreams are about to be dashed. And there will be no prince in shining armour to save her. Tonight, she is going to get the shock of her life.

As May walked away from Drew, she turned around to cast a final look at Drew's face. Despite his feminine and soft facial features, she only noticed his emerald green eyes and that…_that _look. The look that was so full of smugness and treachery.

From just that one look, she knew enough. 

Drew was a traitor.

- - -

As TK and JP packed their belongings inside the shelter, the two friends exchanged a quiet conversation with each other before they departed for tribal council. A keen observer on people, TK was quick to notice the uncharacteristic weary expression on JP's face. The chubby Frontier looked as if he was bothered by a huge burden.

"What's wrong?" TK asked in a gentle voice.

"I'm not going to vote for Drew tonight. May asked me to, but I refused her. I told her that I wouldn't vote for Drew, just like how she would never cast a vote against Brock or Takato." JP sighed. "It's horrible, but…I think I did the right thing."

"You're too honest, JP." TK reached his hand to pat JP softly on his shoulder. "That is your major flaw."

"And then she asked me if I could cast a vote for Cassidy and…and I told her I'll wait to see if she's going to use her immunity necklace or not." JP sighed again, this time sounding more desperate. "It's the best way for me to evade the question."

"Does she know?" TK whispered, slowly withdrawing his hand from JP's shoulder.

"I think so." JP nodded his head. "She even told me that Drew is in an alliance with her and he's playing all of us, but…" He gave an uncomfortable look to TK. "But you know…she's feeling helpless, so…I mean, I said a lot of things I don't mean when I thought I was going to be voted off."

"Drew predicted that something like this would happen," muttered TK.

"Smart guy." JP added, nodding in agreement.

"It's strange that she didn't say any of this to me." TK rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Hey, do you think they're targeting me next?"

JP's eyes widened in surprise, but he couldn't say anything in response. Speechlessness was another aspect that TK rarely saw in JP.

"Let's hope not." TK continued with a nervous chuckle. The laughter quickly faded away. "But I'm wary of Drew's motives. He could be playing us again, like he did with Butch."

"I…I don't think he's lying. He's been talking about it to me for weeks. _Every _day. He really wants to break May's alliance up, no matter what it takes." JP said.

"JP, consider this suggestion." TK looked at his friend with a gentle face. "Why don't we agree to May's deal and vote Cassidy off if she doesn't use her immunity necklace?"

"And what will happen if she does use her immunity?" JP asked. His voice was full of uncertainty. "Who will we vote for then?"

"I wished we could tell May that we'll vote _with_ her alliance if Cassidy doesn't use her immunity necklace, but we'll vote _against _her alliance if she does use it. But…" TK had a thin smile on his face. "The game doesn't work that way. We can't make promises like that."

The handsome blonde paused as if a brilliant idea suddenly flashed in front of his eyes.

"Do we know that Cassidy is using the immunity necklace anyway?" TK asked his Frontier companion.

"She's very confident in herself, so may be…" JP sighed. "I don't know. She's a wildcard."_****_

Cassidy: I'm attending tribal council again, but with a completely different tribe. I don't feel very powerful in my position, but I am in an alliance with four people who have the majority. If everything goes according to plan, then I'll be safe from the vote. And that means I don't need to waste my immunity necklace!

Her fingers toyed with the thin necklace that hanged around her neck._****_

Cassidy: It's very risky, but day-um! If I can play this move right, I could get lucky. This little necklace is a lot more useful in the merge than in tribal situations. Let's see what happens.

Cassidy was washing her face by the river when Drew suddenly appeared by her side. She looked up in surprise, but conceals her astonishment with a thin smile that oozed overconfidence. She slowly got up and stood by Drew, towering him due to their massive differences in height.

"Brock's alliance is going to vote for you tonight." Drew whispered softly. "She just told me."

"Damn." Cassidy responded. She clenched her fist tightly in her right hand. "They're not giving me a chance, huh?"

"Are you going to use your immunity necklace?" Drew asked.

"Do I have a reason to use it?" Cassidy smiled confidently. She leaned down slightly and glared into Drew's face, but he seemed unnerved. "I'm in a majority alliance, so even if they throw their three votes at me, I'll still be here tomorrow!"

"Ah yes, that's right…" Drew began.

He paused. The smug smirk on his face then grew wider.

"But you never know," said Drew in a quiet and enigmatic voice. "You never know what some people will do in tribal council."

Cassidy continued staring into Drew's face after he spoke those powerful words. Her overconfidence and comfort had been fogging up her judgment, but it seemed as if Drew's words brought her back to reality. She had been too confident, too careless.__

Damn. Cassidy thought. Now, she had no choice but to use the immunity necklace if she wanted to make sure that she stayed in the game.

Although the feisty Team Rocket member knew that Drew had a valid point in his reasoning, she can't help but put all the blame on him for her worrying. Cassidy was somebody who loved and needed to be in control over a situation, but now, Drew had stripped that power away from her, leaving Cassidy with this uneasy and unfamiliar feeling of helplessness. It was _his _fault that she couldn't keep her immunity necklace. 

It was all Drew's fault.

She hated that kid.

- - -

It was an uneasy feeling for many Huntail members to return to tribal council since the third day. With the exception of Cassidy, this was only the second tribe that they attended tribal council. And although they should have been more prepared, most of them felt an anxious feeling of not knowing what to expect. From the surface, Huntail appeared to be such a strong and united tribe that dominated in challenges and thrived on togetherness. But apparently, that was not the case anymore.

"How the mighty has fallen!" Professor Birch said in a ridiculously jubilant tone. Some tribe members shot a sorrowful look at the professor for his insensitive remark. "Welcome to tribal council for the second time, Huntail."

"It's great to finally be here, professor. We miss ya." JP grinned.

"That's good to hear." Professor Birch smiled cheekily. "So JP, how has things changed in the Huntail tribe since your first tribal council?"

"After the first three days of disaster, we really came through together. We started working together as a tribe, winning challenges, building friendships…oh yeah, it's awesome." JP nodded his head as he spoke.

"Hearing that must make you feel a bit antsy, Cassidy." Professor Birch turned towards the intimidating Team Rocket member. "You're the newcomer in this tribe, struggling to fit in."

"Yeah, you can say that." Cassidy smirked. Her mouth was slightly open as if she was going to add on that remark, but she kept silent with only her delicate finger toying around the immunity necklace that she was wearing.

"Are you worried that you might be voted off?" Professor Birch asked.

"_If_ I'm going to be voted off tonight, then hell yes, I should be worried." Cassidy shrugged her shoulders. She spoke this in a tone that didn't seem like she was worried at all.

Professor Birch glared at the Team Rocket member for a few seconds, mumbling something about a 'half-ass' answer. His professionalism quickly returned to him however, and he turned to TK for the next question.

"TK, you…you've injured your leg in the past few days, didn't you?" Professor Birch asked.

"That's right, professor." TK nodded his head lightly with a small smile. "But I'm still hanging on."

"Do you think that injury makes you a liability in this tribe? I mean…you were a pretty darn good athlete before this happened," said Professor Birch.

"I guess so. But accidents happen accidentally, so I'm…" TK began.

Professor Birch interrupted with a thin smile on his bearded face.

"Wait. Can you repeat what you just said?" Professor Birch asked, looking amused.

"Something about accidents happening accidentally…" TK stopped himself and suddenly began chuckling. "Sorry, I take that back. What I said doesn't make any sense whatsoever."

A few tribe members laughed. The laughter seemed to break the nervous tension that was apparent in this tribal council.

"Drew." Professor Birch was now staring at the smug Coordinator. His smile quickly faded away. "How difficult is it for you to cast the vote tonight?"

"It's very difficult to vote anybody out, professor." Drew said instantly, almost as if this was a rehearsed speech at the top of his head. 

"Do you have any idea who you're going to vote for?" Professor Birch continued asking.

"Yes, of course." Drew smirked.

"One last thing before we go to the vote." Professor Birch smiled at Cassidy. "Cassidy, you've the immunity necklace. Are you going to use it tonight?"

"Yes. I'm going to use this baby here tonight." Cassidy nodded her head, tapping her fingers on the necklace. A few tribe members shot her several looks of disdain. They were not surprised, but they did look slightly disappointed at her response.

"Okay then, it's time to vote. Cassidy is immune, so nobody can cast a vote for her. Drew, you're up first." Professor Birch gestured the Pokemon Coordinator to move.

Drew got up from his seat and crossed over the bridge to the other side, where the voting booth was located. He picked up a black marker and scribbled a five lettered name on the parchment. He held the vote up. It read: "Brock".

"Brock, you've been an excellent and respectable leader. You provided plenty of survival knowledge and skills to our tribe. Huntail wouldn't be nearly as successful had it not been for your leadership. This is a vote cast out of respect and not due to malice."

The Pokemon Coordinator paused. Then, he shrugged his shoulders.

"But being a good leader just isn't enough to survive in this game. First and foremost, you've to be a good _player_. You made your alliance with May and Takato so obvious and out in the open that everybody knew about it. It was painfully clear to me that the three of you will stick together no matter what the circumstances are. Brock, you showed your entire hand to everyone before you were dealt all your cards. And a good player never does that."

May voted, and then JP followed. The chubby Frontier was the second person to cast a vote for Brock tonight.

"Sorry man, but I have to do this to ya. You're just too much of a threat. I'm pretty sure you'll dominate all of the physical and mental challenges in the merge, so yeah…you need to go. Bye and thanks for everything, dude."

Takato voted, and then it was Cassidy's turn. She cast the third vote against Brock in this tribal council.

"Your plan to vote me off foiled. I've the immunity necklace and I'm guaranteed a spot in the merge. You…_you, _on the other hand, will not. Hell yeah, that's how it is."

Brock voted. And then TK voted, casting the last vote of the night.

All seven votes were written down on paper. Somebody was going home tonight.

- - -

As he watched Professor Birch return with the voting urn, Takato felt a queasy sensation inside his stomach. Although it was a small and harmless container, the power that it carried inside was almost intimidating. Takato knew that Professor Birch was about to pull out seven votes and one sealed fate. He hoped it was not him. While the goggle-head was fairly confident that he would be safe in this tribal council ("There were bigger fish to fry," joked Takato), he could never be too comfortable about his position in this game. The game was always changing. And people were always lying.

"Once the votes have been read, the person voted off will be asked to leave tribal council area immediately," said Professor Birch.

Takato gulped. Although his alliance was supposed to have the numbers, the majority, the four votes enough to send somebody home, he still had a bad feeling about this.

Something felt wrong.

"I'll now read the votes," said Professor Birch. He reached his hand inside the urn and pulled out the first parchment. He took a brief look at it and then turned the vote around for everybody to read.

"TK."

The handsome blonde smiled weakly at Professor Birch. It was him - the one with the injury. Brock's alliance had targeted him after all.

"Second vote." Professor Birch continued, pulling another parchment out of the urn. "TK."

TK nodded his head in comprehension. He turned to look at Brock, May and Takato - all three of them wore guilty expressions on their faces as TK's name was read out. But TK knew that once one of them cast their vote against him, all three of them will pool their votes in the same direction. That was an inevitable fact.

"TK." Professor Birch read out the third vote.

Brock flashed an apologetic smile at TK. He patted the blonde on the shoulder, as if this was a silent apology for casting a vote against him tonight. TK continued nodding his head, but he was too focused on Professor Birch to respond back to Brock. He had three votes so far. One more vote with his name on it - and he would be voted out of the game.

But tribal council was not over until it was _really _ over. And TK wasn't about to resigned to fate until he saw his name appeared for the fourth time in a row.

Professor Birch pulled out the fourth vote. It had a different name on the parchment this time.

"Brock."

The Pokemon Breeder raised an eyebrow. He slowly withdrew his hand from TK's shoulder, looking at the emotionless blonde with uncertainty.

"Fifth vote…Brock." Professor Birch repeated his name for the second time.

Brock narrowed his squinty eyes onto the parchment, attempting to interpret the messy handwriting and identify the person.

"Brock." Professor Birch said, holding up the sixth vote. "That's three votes for TK and three votes for Brock. One vote left."

Professor Birch reached his hand inside the voting urn and pulled out the final piece of parchment.

And he turned it over.

There it was - _his _name.

"The sixth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…" Professor Birch sadly smiled at the tribe. "Brock."

May dropped her head in disappointment. Her worst nightmare had just come true. Brock was voted off. Her alliance was broken apart. Her friend was gone forever. She didn't even need to look at Drew to know what happened. He had betrayed them, just like she predicted that he would.

"I didn't see that coming at all," muttered Brock. He sounded angry and confused at the same time. Nobody dared to look at him, except for Cassidy, who wore a boastful smirk on her face as the Pokemon Breeder got up from his seat.

"Brock…" Takato mumbled, sounding helpless and distressed. Brock patted him on the shoulder gently, but said nothing to comfort the teary-eyed Tamer.

After retrieving his torch, Brock marched over to Professor Birch.

"The tribe has spoken, Brock." Professor Birch said as he snuffed out the flame in Brock's torch. "It's time for you to go."

Brock nodded his head. He turned around and smiled sadly at Takato and May. He didn't acknowledge the rest of the tribe in his farewell. In Brock's eyes - they were all no-good traitors. They meant nothing to him.

"Bye Brock…" May said in a soft and feeble voice, waving at the Pokemon Breeder as he disappeared into the forest. 

And he was gone forever.

"This might be a trend or a mere coincidence, but in both tribal councils, you voted off the leader of your tribe." Professor Birch said, holding his hands behind his back. "Either way, it doesn't matter anymore. After tomorrow, the two tribes will be one. Did you make a good decision in voting your tribe leader off? Think about it tonight."

Takato closed his eyes. He was completely blindsided at tribal council. Out of all the possibilities and scenarios he had imagined, he did not expect Brock to be voted off at all. How could they vote for Brock? Did they forget all of his accomplishments in this game? He was the man who built a sturdy shelter for their tribe. He was the athlete who dominated in challenges. He was the doctor who treated their injuries. He was the chef who arranged their meals. Most importantly, he was the leader who made Huntail into a strong and unified tribe. Brock contributed _everything _to Huntail.

And they voted him off without hesitation.

Although Takato still needed time to process what just happened, he already pictured what Huntail would be like without Brock - their leader.

This was not Huntail.

This was hell.

- - -

_**Brock's Final Words**_

Honestly, I had no idea that I would be voted off tonight. If anybody even gave me a hint that this would happen, I would have prepared a better reaction when I saw my torch get snuff. They voted me out, but nobody had the courage or courtesy to even tell me about it. It kind of hurts, but I'll get over it. You win some and you lose some. I put my trust on a certain green-haired weasel and it bit me in the ass. Oh well.

Now that I'm out of the game, I've a few people I'd like to thank. Thanks, May and Takato, for always being by my side no matter what the issue is. You two are the most genuine people left in the game and I'm rooting for you all the way! I'd also like to thank the Gorebyss tribe for voting Zoe and Mimi out of the game this early. Now if you'd excuse me, there are some beautiful girls are waiting for me at the Loser's Lounge! 

- - -

_**Next Time on Survivor –**_

**The two tribes merge into one...**   
_Professor Birch:_ Gorebyss and Huntail are no more.   
(He holds up a dark purple buff in his left hand.)   
_Professor Birch:_ From now on, the ten of you are the Clamperl tribe.

**Loyalties are tested...**   
_May:_ Is the deal between us still intact?   
(The man beside her nods his head. May smiles very gratefully at him.)

**And angry emotions run high...**   
_Casey:_ What the hell, Takuya?   
(Casey hurls a soda can at Takuya's direction.)   
_Takuya:_ You're annoying.

_**All this and more on – Episode 7: His True Colours**_

- - -

**Author's Notes:** Thanks for reading the latest chapter! Please review and take the Episode 6 after you're finished with the episode. I appreciate reading your comments very much! 


	7. Episode 7: His True Colours

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**  
By: Gomamon

_**Last Time on Survivor:**_

_The hunger issue is becoming a problem in Gorebyss and some tribe members are worried about Casey's health. Despite her circumstances, Casey continues to be optimistic and determined about the game, even though she knew she would be voted off in a unanimous vote. At the immunity challenge, Rika pulled through for her tribe, breaking off Gorebyss' continuous losing streak._

_In the Huntail tribe, JP and May make a promise to never vote for each other in tribal council. In addition, JP further secures his position in the game when he agrees to join Drew's alliance to vote Brock off. An unsuspecting Brock firmly believes that Drew will become the fourth vote in his alliance as they target TK for his liability. But he and his allies were shocked when Drew's true allegiance was revealed, and Brock ends up getting blindsided in a 4 to 3 vote. As the merge approaches, ten remain. Who will be voted off next?_

**Episode Seven: His True Colours**

**Gorebyss: **_CASEY – JAMES – RIKA – TAKUYA_

**Huntail: **_CASSIDY – DREW – JP – MAY – TAKATO – TK_

- - -

**DAY 19**

Takato Matsuki was staring at a young, whimpering boy. His large, round eyes were matched by a pair of eyebrows that gently arched upwards, giving the boy a look of childish innocence on his round and boyish face. The corners of his lips quivered a little, but the boy had gathered up enough inner strength to fight the tempting urge to cry. His face reminded Takato somewhat of a small puppy, hurt and trembling, silently pleading for somebody to rescue him from this state of agony and confusion.

_How pathetic._

Takato picked up a small stone from the ground and tossed it in the river. The image of the pathetic little boy disappeared instantly, briefly replaced by a couple of resonating ripples. The timid Tamer closed his eyes. He did not want to see his reflection return again.

It was the day after the sixth tribal council, which offered him plenty of time to recover, yet Takato still had difficulty coping with last night's shocking outcome and its horrifying aftermath. Normally when Takato felt depressed in this game, he took consolation in knowing that he would hear Brock's comforting words, magically soothing whatever burdening thoughts that plagued the Tamer's mind. But now, Takato sat by the river all by himself. He still needed some time to accept the fact that he lost his idol, mentor, role model _and _best friend last night. Brock was gone. He was really gone.

In the midst of Brock's departure and Takato's dejected response to the event, there was luckily one thing for him to look forward to: the merge. Professor Birch had already announced that on the nineteenth day of this game, which was a little less than the mid-point of their journey, the remaining ten players will merge into one tribe. No more Gorebyss, no more Huntail, no more tribal effort. After today, they will be playing a strictly individual game.

Sighing heavily, Takato stood up and shoved his tiny hands into the pockets of his brown khaki pants. He flashed a weak smile at one of the cameras nearby.

"I'm okay now," said Takato. He was talking to one of the cameramen. "I just needed time to think things over."

He gave a small, polite bow. Then, he began to walk slowly back to camp.

_**Takato: **The two tribes are going to merge together today. To be honest, I'm still a little overwhelmed. I mean, I do feel excited that I finally have the chance to meet with everybody in the game, don't get me wrong! But on the other hand, I'm a bit nervous. I don't know what to expect once the ten of us starts living with each other._

The petite Tamer was holding his aqua blue Huntail buff in his hands. He clutched the buff tightly and gave a small, joyous chuckle.

_**Takato: **I can't believe that I won't be wearing this buff when I wake up tomorrow. It's going to be a little hard to adjust. All these new people, new friendships, new strategies…everything about this game is going to change once more. I'm scared, but I'm also really looking forward to it. It should be fun!_

When Takato arrived at the desolate Huntail camp, the only other person awake was May, who sat by the campfire by herself, gazing sadly at the pot of water that she was boiling. Takato could realize that the effects of Brock leaving were also taking their tow on May as well.

"Good morning, May." Takato said quietly as he approached her.

"Oh, good morning…I was wondering where you were when I woke up." May forced a small smile on her face.

"Are you sure you got enough rest? It's kinda early," mumbled Takato.

"Huh? Yeah…I'm fine." May said, nodding her head. The tone of her voice was surprisingly dull, almost as if the usual energy in her voice was drained away.

Takato cast his eyes on the pot of water for a few seconds before he turned his focus back on May again.

"The merge is coming soon." Takato said, attempting to begin a friendly conversation with May. "Do you think we'll be moving to a new camp?"

"Oh gee, I hope not. We worked so hard on building this camp, so I don't want to see it abandoned." May murmured.

"Yeah," said Takato. He paused for a hesitant moment before continuing. "Besides, I don't know if we're capable of building another shelter without Brock's help…"

"Camp life is going to get a lot tougher without Brock around, that's for sure," sighed May.

"I miss him…" Takato muttered.

"Me too, Takato." May wrapped her arm around his neck in a friendly manner. "Me too."

A serene silence passed upon the two of them for the next few minutes. Takato just sat there, looking dumbfounded, lost in his trains of thoughts. Meanwhile, a fidgety May got up every now and then to check on the pot of boiling water.

"Hey May, what do you think we should do at the merge?" Takato asked.

"I'm officially _done _with Huntail." May replied in a soft whisper. "After they blindsided Brock last night, I've seen their true colours. I can't trust traitors."

"That's true, but…but how are we going to stay in the game if we don't stick with Huntail?" Takato mumbled.

"Well, I've a few more tricks up my sleeves." May grinned toothily. She turned her head around to check if anybody was eavesdropping before continuing. "Nobody knows about this yet, but I made an alliance with Takuya a few days ago. It should come in handy when we align with Gorebyss at the next tribal council."

Takato gasped in surprise.

"Gorebyss currently has four members in their tribe, right?" May continued, holding up four fingers in her right hand. Then, she raised two other fingers in her left hand. "Once we join them in the vote, there will be six votes out of a possible ten. And just like that, we'll be in the majority again."

"May, are you sure that Gorebyss is willing to work with us?" Takato asked. His quiet voice seeped with uncertainty. "We don't know them that well…"

"Don't worry, I've talked with Takuya before and he seems like a good guy. I know some of the men here don't really like his aggressive attitude, but _we_ can trust him." May added.

"That's cool." Takato nodded his head, smiling faintly.

"But don't tell Huntail about this." May whispered. "Or someone like Drew and Cassidy may ruin our plans."

"I promise I won't." Takato said. "I'm just glad that we'll be working with Rika instead of working against her."

_**May: **Right now, the other tribe is at a slight disadvantage because they've less people than Huntail. I'm guessing that it's going to be Huntail versus Gorebyss at our first tribal council. And if it goes this way, the easiest thing to do is to pick off the four Gorebyss members one by one._

She paused, brushing a few strands of her hazel brown hair from her eyes. The gorgeous Pokemon Coordinator grinned sheepishly at the cameras.

_**May: **Huntail thinks they've the majority, but they'd be surprised to know that they don't have the numbers anymore. Everybody expects that Takato and I have no choice but to align with Huntail at the merge, but they don't know that we have other plans in mind. But yeah, we'll give them the impression that we're staying loyal to Huntail. Let them experience how it feels to be blindsided at tribal council. It's time for some people to get a bitter taste of their own medicine._

- - -

As the upcoming merge loomed upon the players, many new strategies were beginning to assemble amongst the players. This was extremely true for the Gorebyss tribe, who was lagging in numbers compared to Huntail. It was critical for them to build a solid strategy in order to survive when the merge arrived. Takuya had thought about this matter for a fairly long time and at last, he had the 'perfect' plan. Or at least that was how Takuya described it. Rika knew Takuya's faults too well to trust him and his annoying tendency to exaggerate the truth.

"I thought it was obvious. We need to vote out Cassidy the first chance we get." Rika grunted in her usual harsh and tomboyish manner. She put her hands on her hips and glared sternly at Takuya. "Don't get off track, goggle-head!"

"I'm just saying…I don't want our dislike for Cassidy to hinder some of our long-term goals in this game." Takuya shrugged his shoulders, sounding so relaxed and laid-back that it irritated Rika even further. "Besides, it's no good for us to target Cassidy if the rest of Huntail is going to pick us off one by one. They _do _have the majority over our tribe, you know."

"Get to the point. What are you suggesting?" Rika asked.

"I have an alliance with someone from the Huntail tribe. If we work with them, Gorebyss wouldn't be instant prey at the merged tribe," said Takuya, sneering confidently. "Don't you see, Rika? They're a strong tribe, but the last time I was at their camp, I noticed there are some very visible cracks in their dynamics. It's far more important to break Huntail apart instead of making Gorebyss self-destruct!"

Rika crossed her arms across her chest. Judging from her standoffish posture, Takuya knew that his ally was not impressed with his idea, not one bit.

"I know what you're thinking. I know, I know. But Rika, be more flexible…" Takuya began.

"If Cassidy makes it to the jury, she won't vote for either of us." Rika grunted.

"Not unless we're in the Final Two together, then she'll have no choice." Takuya grinned, attempting at a joke to loosen the tense atmosphere. He nudged her in the shoulder with his elbow. "Am I right?"

"Stupid goggle-head…" Rika muttered angrily.

"Hey, where are you going?" Takuya asked, chasing after Rika, who was walking away from Takuya in another direction.

"Don't follow me. I'm going to get treemail," replied Rika. She shot an icy glare at Takuya. "Leave me alone."

Takuya stopped in his tracks, almost wincing at Rika's harsh words. He silently watched the Tamer march away and soon, her slim and petite figure disappeared behind the ocean of trees. Then, Takuya turned to the cameras with a weak smile, mouthing the word 'ouch' to one of the grinning cameramen.

_**Rika: **I just don't understand how that goggle-head's brain works sometimes. The correct answer is so obvious and so easy, yet he has to take a stupid risk and lose everything. I don't give a damn what Takuya says. We've seen how Cassidy acts when she ends up in control of a tribe. She's a huge threat and she needs to be voted off instantly._

Elsewhere in the forest, Casey and James were also having their own strategic discussion. Despite their visible differences, the unlikely duo had bonded with each other due to the limited circumstances of this tribe. They were not close friends by any means, but James did respect Casey's endless zest and spirit, while the mouthy baseball fan preferred James' company over the likes of Takuya or Rika. Thus, in a strange way that nobody could have predicted, James and Casey both enjoyed each other's company for the past few days. And by now, James felt comfortable enough with Casey to divulge some of his inner thoughts to the petite girl.

"It's so hard to predict what will happen at the merge." James sighed. "Especially since we don't know who got voted off from the other tribe. For all I know, it could be Brock – and I'd be a very, _very _happy man."

Casey chuckled, nodding her head slowly as James spoke.

"Yeah, let's worry about the merge when it actually happens," said Casey. She turned to James with an envious smile. "You're lucky, James. You got to know everybody from _both _tribes. That puts you at an instant advantage over me."

"I guess. But you've to understand that they all hate my guts and the feeling is mutual. I-" James was about to start a new sentence when he was suddenly interrupted by Casey's loud cry.

"Oh my god! What's this?" Casey shouted with enthusiasm, pointing her finger at a nearby bush.

Casey ran over to the bush and kneeled down on her knees. Stretching her short and bony arm, she slowly pulled out an empty soda can from the bushy plant.

"Wow." James chuckled, sounding amused. "I didn't know these things grew on trees."

"What on earth is a soda can doing in the middle of our island?" Casey asked, also chuckling. "How weird! Did a producer leave this here or something?"

"Casey, come on!" James laughed, unsure if the petite baseball lover was being serious or not. "Did you forget that your tribe won that food reward a few days ago?"

"Huh? I don't know what you're talking about…" Casey said, scratching her head in confusion. She tried thinking back about the events that happened several days ago, but could not remember such a scenario happening before. _Winning a reward challenge? Really?_

"Aieeee, your memory is worse than mine!" James giggled. He tapped his finger lightly on the soda can that Casey was holding. "It was the third reward challenge. The participants had to eat gross food or whatever. Takuya easily beat Takato in the challenge and won plenty of pizza and soda for Gorebyss!" He paused, putting one hand on his hip stylishly. "Okay, so you probably finished the three days worth of food by now, but how can you _not _remember that, Casey?"

"I'm pretty darn sure that we never won a reward challenge. Are you sure you've got the facts right?" Casey asked.

"Yeah, Takato told us all about the challenge when he got back!" James said, nodding his head. "It was the only reward challenge that we didn't win at the time. Pizza and soda! I'll never forget about it!"

"But I never ate any pizza before…" Casey mumbled slowly before her voice was completely drained away by her thoughts.

James stared at Casey in confusion. He still didn't understand what was happening. After all, he only arrived to Gorebyss on the fourteenth day. As a newcomer, James had no idea what happened during the days prior to his arrival.

"What is going on?" James asked, squealing in his usual high-pitched voice.

"Let's ask Takuya. He'd know about it." Casey said, clenching her hand angrily in the soda can that she was holding. "And I hope for his sake that he has a darn good explanation for this!"

_**Casey: **Back at home, I eat three full meals a day in order to keep energized – breakfast, lunch, dinner, and sometimes dessert if I feel like spoiling myself. Out here, I understand that the food situation is difficult for all of us, so I don't complain to my tribe members that I'm starving every single day I'm on this island. I even try lying to myself sometimes that you know, I'm not losing a lot of weight and I'm not turning into a skinny skeleton._

Casey had an uncharacteristically dejected expression on her boyish face.

_**Casey: **So, I found this weird soda can in the bushes today. According to James, it was part of a food reward that Takuya won apparently. However, I've never eaten any slices of pizza or drank any of the soda that James was describing about. A gut instinct of mine just knew that Takuya was hiding the food from us. This selfishness is so like him. It's so Takuya. And I wished there was a better explanation for this. I wished this confessional was different. _

"Takuya, you've been hiding the food from us this entire time, haven't you?" Casey's voice shouted.

The athletic man turned around. He had been breaking small pieces of branches and adding it to the fire when a loud and booming voice rang in his ears. Looking a little annoyed, Takuya saw that Casey and James were exiting the forest and approaching him in his direction. Even from a distance, Takuya could see the soda can that Casey clutched to in her right hand. There it was – a piece of evidence that he carelessly left behind in the scene of the crime. At that instant, Takuya knew what this was about.

He got caught.

"What are you talking about?" Takuya asked, forcing a weak smile on his rugged face. Whatever the accusation was, he'd try denying it at first.

"This, Takuya. _This._" Casey yelled angrily. She held up the empty soda can that she held in her right fist. "Don't even try to give me one of your infamous lies, Takuya. James told me everything. How do you explain this?"

Takuya narrowed his eyes at James, who was standing sheepishly behind Casey.

"If you already know everything, then why do I have to explain it to you?" Takuya scoffed in a casual manner. "Yeah, I did it. I hid the food from you women."

"What the hell, Takuya?" Casey yelled. She hurled the soda can at Takuya's direction, which he easily dodged with his quick reflexes.

"Why are you making such a big scene over this? I won the reward challenge by myself, so I enjoyed the reward by myself." Takuya asked. The tone of his voice sounded dignified, almost as if he believed that his logic was justifiable. "I don't see anything wrong with what I did."

"You! You…you're unbelievable!" Casey shot her index finger at Takuya in a hostile manner. "You selfish cad!"

"And you are _annoying_." Takuya sneered arrogantly. "I guess we all have flaws."

"You don't feel any remorse over this, do you?" Casey asked, still shouting in a tone that was ridiculously loud and intimidating. "While we've been starving every single day that we're out here, you…you have been keeping yourself full and energized!"

"This is Survivor, not a soup kitchen!" Takuya retorted.

"That food could have helped Delia recover from her illness! That food could have given us the energy boost to win all those immunity challenges! That food could have pulled us from the misery and agony that we felt every single day! Don't you understand what an awful thing you did?" Casey screamed hysterically.

"Go ahead and condemn me to hell!" Takuya threw his arms in the air. "I don't care!"

Just then, Rika arrived at the scene with a scroll of parchment. Amazingly, she appeared unfazed even as Casey and Takuya shouted in each other's face. She walked over to James, who had been keeping guiltily quiet in this argument, and handed the Team Rocket member the parchment.

"I got treemail. It tells us that we have to pack our belongings for the merge this afternoon," said Rika. She gazed over at Takuya and Casey, both still screaming angrily in their heated argument. "So, what did I miss?"

"I feel like I've just opened up Pandora's Box…" James mumbled in a weak and trembling voice.

_**Casey: **I…I'm really hurt. He knew that we were starving this entire time and he had the nerve to actually hide food away from us. I wouldn't have done such a thing even to my worst enemy. I try my best to please everybody and they still treat dirt better than me. I wonder if Gorebyss ever considered me a part of this tribe._

She waved her hand dismissively in the air.

_**Casey: **Just forget it. Forget Takuya. Cassidy was right, he IS a scumbag._

A few minutes later, the Gorebyss camp was finally silent again – but that was only because a furious Casey stomped angrily into the forest, breaking off the argument that she described as 'pointless'. James ran after the petite girl, although he did not think his words would have any consoling effect on the stubborn, fuming girl. Meanwhile, Takuya and Rika were inside the shelter, packing their bags as they prepared for the upcoming merge.

"Smooth, Takuya. Right before the merge too. _Real_ smooth." Rika rolled her eyes. She clearly did not sound impressed.

"Shut up," mumbled Takuya. "Just shut up."

He paused and shot a disdainful glare at his friend, Rika.

"Leave _me _alone."

- - -

Ten players stood impatiently on the sandy beach, six on the light blue mat and four on the crimson red mat. Professor Birch stood in front of them, himself standing on a vivid purple mat. He flashed a pleasant, fatherly smile at the players, a smile which most of them returned. Because they all knew what this meeting was for. It was the day of change – a day that some had been enthusiastically anticipating for a long time.

"Today is the day of the merge. Everybody, drop your buffs. Gorebyss and Huntail are no more." Professor Birch announced.

May beamed happily at the professor as she removed her blue buff from her wrist, tossing the small piece of cloth onto the sand. When she did that, she felt so free, almost as if the buff was a pair of handcuffs that restricted her happiness in this game.

"From now on, the ten of you are the Clamperl tribe." Professor Birch said, grinning. He pulled out some buffs from his lab pocket. "You'll wear purple, the colour formed when red and blue are combined together."

"Aah, nice! I like that!" JP laughed. Professor Birch threw him a buff, which the chubby Frontier caught with his powerful fist.

After all ten players received buffs, the professor turned towards the Clamperl tribe with an important question.

"Now, let's determine where your new camp will be placed…" Professor Birch said, slowly nodding his head. "James and Cassidy, since you've lived on both camps, which one do you think is the most suitable for Clamperl to live in?"

"We _have to _live in the Huntail camp. It's not perfect, but their place is a paradise compared to the dump in Gorebyss," replied Cassidy.

"Yeah, Huntail is in a slightly better condition." James agreed, although he sounded reluctant to admit that in front of his old tribe.

"Okay, the former Gorebyss tribe will move into the Huntail camp." Professor Birch clapped his hands together. "Next topic – food. Now, I'm aware that both of your tribes are running low on your supplies of rice and corn, so I'll be giving you one bucket of each." He gestured towards two fairly large metallic containers by his feet. Both of them were identical looking to each other. "Rationalize your food carefully, because it'll run out soon."

JP and TK nodded their heads. The two men exchanged excited grins at each other over the prospect of extra food.

"In addition, bring this crate with you." Professor Birch pointed towards an even larger wooden crate beside the two metallic containers. "There's a refreshing surprise for you guys inside. Consider it a way to celebrate your progress in this game. Congratulations for making it to the merge!"

"_More _food!" JP exclaimed enthusiastically. "Somebody pinch me. This is the best day ever!"

Takato laughed, while TK playfully punched JP in the shoulder.

"On a more serious note, there will be no more tribal immunities." He walked over to Rika and removed the golden Pokeball from her hands. "From now on, this is a purely individual game. For those of you riding on the coattails of your tribe, wake up and start taking the game seriously. Also consider that seven of these people will be members of the jury, who will ultimately decide which person wins the million dollars in the end."

He paused, staring at nobody in particular. A few people's smiles faded away, looking slightly uncomfortable at the professor's sudden shift in tone.

"I'll see the ten of you at the next immunity challenge," said the professor.

A few people cheered in excitement as they ran towards the purple mat to retrieve the containers of rice and corn. James smiled uneasily at the beefy professor. His prophetic words still echoed clearly in the Team Rocket member's mind. While some of his new tribe members obviously didn't put much thought into Professor Birch's long and tedious speech, those same words surprisingly provoked a lot of insight and wisdom hidden inside James. For some unknown reason, he knew that the Professor had a very valid point.

For the past few days, James had been living in a state of ignorant bliss, content to surround himself with the companionship that he desperately longed for in the Huntail tribe. However, this merge brought his mindset back to where it was supposed to be – game mode. As much as he hated to admit this, he knew he couldn't depend on anybody to carry him into the finals. Not even Takuya and Rika, two people whom James sincerely considered as friends. Because from now on, this was an _individual _game.

And if James wanted to win Survivor, he needed to play for himself.

- - -

The Clamperl tribe arrived at their campsite. For some, they were returning to their usual surroundings. But for others, this camp was an entirely unfamiliar place.

This was the first time that Rika Nonaka had seen the Huntail camp. Although the two campsites were built on a similar landscape and structure, Rika immediately noticed the differences between the arrangements of the Huntail camp and the Gorebyss camp. From their sturdy shelter to the tamed campfire and right down to their neatly organized utensil rack built on the outer wall of their shelter, everything about the Huntail camp was the mirror image of the successful tribe's challenge performances: it was prosperous. Compared to the unorganized Gorebyss camp, where stinky clothes and dirty dishes scattered everywhere on the ground due to laziness, this place was _amazing_.Rika felt a hazy tint of guilt that she had not taken better care of her old camp before.

"Where should we put the food?" Rika asked, looking at her new tribe members. She was holding one of the metallic containers that either had the rice or corn inside. She stopped and looked by the campfire. "Here?"

"Over there, please." TK said, pointing at the section of camp where the other food containers were placed. As she walked there, Rika immediately identified that place as the kitchen area, because that was where all of their cooking utensils were stored.

"This is our humble abode." May said, smiling sweetly at the Gorebyss members. "I hope you guys enjoy it here!"

_**May: **I'm feeling great! It's soooo good to have new faces around camp! I haven't met with Rika or Casey until today, but oh my god, it's totally refreshing to talk with another woman. I've been surrounded by testosterone for so long that, uh, I just want to hang around with some girls, you know? Well technically, Cassidy is a female…but she doesn't count. We've nothing in common. We don't click at all._

"Well, this place looks fantastic." Takuya grinned, whistling. "Man, you guys did a damn good job at making this place feel like home. No wonder you win all of the challenges."

"We know, Takuya. We know." JP joked in a playful manner. "C'mon, unpack your bags inside our shelter."

"Less talk, more eating. I want to pig out on the feast." Cassidy smirked. Even as she attempted to make a light-hearted comment, her voice still sounded harsh and snappy. "Let's not get the food cold, people!"

"Yeah! I'm hungry!" JP laughed. He and Drew were carrying the large wooden crate that contained the delicious feast inside.

Takuya raised an eyebrow at his Frontier friend.

"Hmm, I don't know, you guys." He said, looking uncertain. "We can save the food for dinner tonight. For now, I think we have more important priorities in this tribe."

"Dude, what can be more important than food?" JP asked impatiently.

"First of all, we need to expand on the shelter," explained Takuya. He gestured towards the Huntail shelter nearby. "It looks great and everything, but it's a bit too small, don't you think?"

"It's not going to fit the ten of us," added Rika.

"Sheesh, we can do the work later." Cassidy said dismissively. "We're hungry and we're tired after that stupid long hike. Let's eat first."

"If it gets too dark, we won't be able to build the shelter." Rika said, folding her arms across her chest. Drew could also be seen nodding his head slowly, as if he silently supported her reasonable logic.

_**Rika: **There was no way that shelter could have fit ten people inside and just watch, nobody is going to get a wink of sleep tonight. It was getting late, the sun was about to set and it didn't make any sense to stall the construction until it gets too dark to build anything. I think some people just needed an excuse to squirm out of work. Lazy bastards._

"Relax, we have plenty of time." Cassidy said. She rolled her eyes at the icy Tamer. "Don't be such a party pooper."

"Yeah! Cassidy has a good point." JP nodded. "Just chill out! We have the entire day to work. Let's use this time to get to know each other a little better!"

"I agree. Let's chow down!" Casey smiled, also nodding her head.

"If that's what you all want, fine…" Takuya shrugged his shoulders. "But I still think we should work on the shelter first, that's all. The food will probably taste better at night anyway."

As Takuya was speaking, JP and Casey were already opening up the crate, revealing plentiful of food inside. The choices ranged from simple appetizers, like biscuits, to luscious delicacies, like the large roasted chicken. JP screamed like a little girl as he caught the sight of the cooked poultry in front of him. He went to the nearest person, Casey, and squeezed her in a huge bear hug.

"Hey you!" Casey snorted in laughter, attempting to free herself from JP's uninvited embrace. "Stop overreacting!"

"This sight ought to be enough to change anybody's mind." TK chuckled. He rubbed his stomach with a small smile. "I know I did."

"But still…" Takuya began, but he was interrupted by Cassidy.

"Oh my goodness! You haven't changed at all." Cassidy laughed smugly. "You need to learn when to stop beating a dead horse, kid!"

Takuya silently glared at the feisty Team Rocket member, but he said nothing. He exchanged knowing glances with Rika, since both of them were thinking the same thing about Cassidy. Rika just slowly shook her head and turned away, wearing an annoyed scowl on her face.

_Yep. _Takuya thought, smiling a little to himself. _She's still a bitch._

- - -

Night time arrived sooner than some had expected. By the time they finished the feast, the newly formed Clamperl tribe did not have enough time or daylight to expand their small and inflexible shelter, just as Rika had predicted. Takato, who got stuck sleeping in between James and TK, was lying uncomfortably on his back, still awake. Staring at the dark ceiling of the shelter, he was starting to regret his idle participation in the discussion this afternoon – if only he had spoken up at that time!

Suddenly, a foot came out of nowhere and pounded on his stomach. Takato reacted accordingly, leaping up from his position and yelping in pain.

"Sorry! Sorry!" James squealed, quickly removing his left foot from Takato's body. "I just wanted to adjust my spot!"

"It…it's alright." Takato mumbled.

However, Takato was not the only person who had trouble sleeping. In fact, most of the tribe members were still awake, blinking vacuously in the darkness. The only person who miraculously slept in this awkward sleeping arrangement was May, who some had joked could sleep through a loud and disastrous storm. As for everybody else, they had immense difficulty lying still, let alone falling asleep, in this crammed and bumpy environment.

"Anybody wants to leave the shelter with me? You know, make some room for the others inside?" JP asked, calling out in his loud and energetic voice. "I don't want to stare into blank space for hours!"

"I'll go with you. Let's talk by the campfire or something." Takuya replied.

"Just like the old days, dude!" JP chuckled.

And with that, the two Frontier friends climbed out of the shelter, walking over to the campfire (conveniently located nearby the shelter) and sat down on adjacent logs next to each other.

_**JP: **Takuya and I are really close friends outside of this game. And since we were placed on different tribes, there was a lot of catching up to do. Since neither of us could sleep at night, we figured…heck, why not spend this time exchanging some fun stories with each other? I know it was the middle of the night, but I was like: dude, let's talk!_

"Hey, I was wondering about this since I got here…but what's that freaking Seel doing in the camp?" Takuya asked, pointing curiously at the baby Seel sleeping on a T-shirt nearby the entrance of the shelter.

"Oh, that thing?" JP chuckled, shooting a brief glance at the Seel. "Takato and Brock found it yesterday. Uh, I think it got injured on Shipwreck Island. It's not in any critical condition though." He paused, and then in a loud voice, he asked, "Is that right, Takato?"

"Yeah…that's right," mumbled Takato, who was attempting to sleep inside the shelter.

For some reason, Takuya started laughing hysterically. JP turned towards his friend, wearing a bemused smile on his face.

"If it was up to me, I would've killed the Seel and ate it for food!" Takuya smacked his hand forcefully on JP's shoulder. "I wished I had the compassion to do charity work like you guys!"

"Dude, _charity _work?" JP also began laughing. "What the hell are you talking about?"

"Come on! You must be a freaking saint to not eat that Seel for food!" Takuya shouted at the top of his voice, still laughing.

Inside the shelter, a few people stirred in their uncomfortable sleeping positions. Drew groaned, mumbling something angrily under his breath.

_**Drew: **It was almost midnight and some of us were actually trying to sleep. But that fat pig and the dumbass frat boy just continued yapping and yapping throughout the night, shouting in those loud and obnoxious voices. I can't believe the nerve of those two. Do they realize how unbelievably inconsiderate and insensitive they are? Just because you can't sleep doesn't mean you have to deprive everybody else of that luxury either._

He rolled his eyes. The normally calm Pokemon Coordinator moved his hand through his green hair and flipped it over his shoulders.

_**Drew: **I couldn't sleep at all because of the idiot brothers. JP and Takuya, this might come as a shock to your huge bloated egos, but nobody wants to hear your lame conversations, so shut up!_

"You're kidding me! She _said _that?" JP's voice bellowed in laughter.

"It's true! It's true! I swear on my life!" Takuya's laughter was even louder and more insufferable than JP's. "And then…hey listen! And then, she was…"

"I can't sleep…" Casey whispered to her neighbour, Cassidy. "Why can't they choose another spot to talk?"

"Somebody tell them to be quiet." TK added in an irritated whisper. Even _he_ was losing his patience.

"That's it!" Cassidy screamed all of a sudden. The aggressive Team Rocket member was not known for her patience or good temper. "We are trying to SLEEP! The two of you, shut the hell up!"

"Sorry, sorry! When we're excited, we get a little too loud." JP laughed. "We'll try to be quieter!"

JP and Takuya tried lowering the volumes of their voices, hopefully satisfying the needs of the people who were trying to sleep. But a few minutes later, their usual loud and obnoxious laughter returned, like an alarm bell that couldn't stop ringing, and their endless conversations echoed in the ears of everybody in the camp throughout the entire night.

"I hate them…" Casey moaned.

And everybody agreed.

- - -

**DAY 20**

Ever since Cassidy was switched over to the Huntail tribe, she was forced to compromise her personality in order to fit in with her new tribe. If Cassidy reached her highest peak in the Gorebyss tribe, then she must have hit rock bottom during her brief stay in Huntail. Not only had she lost her allies and her power, the authoritative Team Rocket member also felt like she lost a part of her dignity as well. In her mind, she felt that a person of her status and potential was supposed to dominate the game. For her to be scared of a few young punks was a complete insult to her character.

Luckily, things appeared to be reverting back to the way that Cassidy always wanted – everything was going _her _way again.

Today, the Clamperl tribe unanimously agreed that they needed to work on expanding the shelter. But even with ten people, this project was not as easy as it sounded. They needed a leader to assign tasks and keep things in check. Naturally, Cassidy volunteered to be the leader. Nobody challenged her for this title and Cassidy was not surprised. She always thought of her tribe members as cowardly followers.

So once again, Cassidy found herself in a role of leadership, content to be bossing people around and ordering them what to do. She proudly stood in front of the Clamperl shelter, barking out commands to the other nine players. And to her credit, she was at least an _effective _leader. Even if she was not a likable person, several people had to grudgingly admit that Cassidy knew how to get a job done. Constructing the new and larger shelter was going more smoothly than most had expected, all thanks to Cassidy's efficient leadership.

_**Cassidy: **I'm really glad that Brock guy isn't here anymore, because I'm now the only visible and willing leader. When I'm in a leadership position, I get to shine. The best part about being a leader is the control. I get to control my destiny in this game. Hell, I get to control other people's destinies._

She cackled maliciously in front of the cameras.

_**Cassidy: **I think I've played a damn good game up until now. Every tribal council I've attended so far, the person that I want out is gone. Stupid Suzie, Bitchy Zoe, Phony Delia, Boring Brock…gone, gone, gone, gone. And I don't intend to lose any of my power at all. As long as there are followers, I'll continue to thrive and dominate in this game. They don't know it yet, but I already have Casey, Drew, JP and TK totally in my control._

Cassidy had her admirers – namely Casey, who always looked up to her as an authoritative figure. But she also had a handful of rebels, those who tried to defy against Cassidy's solid leadership. Every time Takuya or Rika would do so, Cassidy would only sigh and shake her head. Don't those fools learn by now? Why can't they just let her dominate in peace?

Of the two, Takuya was definitely the more annoying one. Cassidy always considered Rika as a cynical loner, but she at least had the decency to get out of Cassidy's sight most of the time. But Takuya was just a pesky little brat who didn't know when to give up. If he didn't like what Cassidy was doing, he can't just pout and cry in the corner like she hoped he would, he had to make an enormous scene about the issue, just so everybody would know how much he hated her. Cassidy didn't mind his juvenile insults – after all, she had faced much more difficult scenarios in her long and bitter life. But still, he was an obnoxious nuisance and he drove Cassidy nuts every time he was around him.

"Hey Cassidy, do you think we should build the roof a little higher?" JP asked. He was holding a machete loosely in his chubby right hand. Cassidy glared at him with stern alertness.

"First of all, don't hold the machete like that unless you want to lose your foot." Cassidy said, rolling her eyes.

"Oh, sorry about that." JP chuckled. He did not know why he apologized to her, but Cassidy just had a way of intimidating him even when he didn't do anything wrong. He always felt like he should apologize to her, just so he would be on her good side, just to be safe.

"If you want to rebuild the roof, you'll need some more people to help you with it." Cassidy said. She looked around the tribe for any spare workers – no, she couldn't find anybody. They were already assigned to different jobs. Finally, she settled her eyes on Takuya, who was fidgety with a rope nearby. "Takuya, go help JP rebuild the roof."

Takuya ignored her and continued tying the knot around a pole in the shelter. Ignoring Cassidy was a statement – his statement of telling Cassidy that he disapproved and disrespected her leadership.

"Immature little brat. Won't listen to me, huh?" Cassidy mumbled under her breath. Then in a louder and calmer voice, she turned towards JP. "Forget about the roof, JP. Go collect some more wood in the forest." She paused and eyed the machete in his hand. With a smug smirk, she added, "Hopefully, you'll come back with all ten fingers in your hands, klutz."

"Was that a necessary remark?" Takuya asked, raising his head from the knot that he was tying seconds ago.

"I thought you were ignoring me," said Cassidy, who continued to smirk.

Takuya continued glaring at her, but did not say anything more. Behind Cassidy's back, he could see that JP was motioning him to be quiet and not make a scene over this.

_**JP: **I don't like Cassidy. She's snide and conniving – kind of like Drew, except I know he's only joking and he doesn't mean any of the things he says. But Cassidy is different. She's just hateful to people on purpose. She says hurtful things to someone in order to make herself feel better. It's kind of sad when you think about it. So, she's not only arrogant…she's also pretty delusional too._

He had a small chuckle as he said that out loud.

_**JP: **She isn't my choice of an ally, but Drew likes her…so I guess I have to respect Drew's bizarre decision in friends. As long as I'm aligned with Drew, I'm also aligned with Cassidy by association. I wished it didn't work that way, but dude, that's the way the game flows._

- - -

After hanging around the men of Huntail for twenty days, May had a pretty good idea about the personalities of the people that she lived with. Takato was the innocent one. Drew was the mean one. JP was the fun one. TK was the nice one. But these one-dimensional impressions of them were constantly changing as she learned more about these guys. Every day, May was surprised to discover a new side to her tribe members, or as May would like to call them – their "true colours".

On this hot and sunny afternoon, a majority of the Clamperl tribe were busily working on their shelter. However, Cassidy delegated the task of collecting firewood to the trio of Drew, May and TK. She claimed that they couldn't solely focus on building the shelter and neglect on other important camp chores. As the three of them trekked through the forest, a light and casual was exchanged between the three former Huntail members.

"May, you missed a classic Takuya moment last night." Drew flashed a shrewd grin at TK as he said that. "You fell asleep too soon."

"Hmm? What was it?" May asked. She wasn't too interested in talking with Drew right now. She had yet forgiven him about the stunt he pulled at the previous tribal council. But May did mentally note to herself how rare it was for the cold and distant Coordinator to engage her in a conversation like this. It didn't seem like Drew's usual demeanour at all.

"He acted like a complete idiot, like usual." TK said, smiling vaguely.

May raised an eyebrow. She found it very unusual to hear those words coming out of TK's mouth. He always seemed so kind and so considerate in her eyes. He was the _golden boy_, after all. JP once joked to her that he thought TK was just a shallow shell of a person filled with mushy compliments and a golden heart inside. May had laughed at that of course, because she had not thought it was possible for the polite and friendly TK to badmouth anybody in this game.

Apparently, she was wrong.

_**May: **It must be an ego problem, but TK and Drew have this tendency to...uh, make fun of Takuya all the time. I nickname it as the 'Bash Takuya' sessions. They've done this a lot of times before we merged, even if they only knew the guy for like, I don't know…the ten minutes that he had been on the Huntail tribe for the first day. Takuya must have given them a really bad first impression for TK and Drew to hate him so much. I mean, they haven't stopped mocking his every flaw ever since!_

She frowned, looking a bit concerned at the cameras.

_**May:** I think somehow, hating the same common enemy helps TK and Drew bond together, because they're two really different guys otherwise. So as weird as it sounds, Takuya is the glue that holds TK and Drew's friendship together. It's kind of mean-spirited, but I guess it's a guy thing._

"Like we suspected, he was an insensitive and inconsiderate bragger." Drew laughed in ridicule. "You should have heard him boasting about himself last night." He attempted mocking Takuya's voice, although unsuccessfully. "Oh, I'm so great! I'm the big, bad alpha male that you don't want to mess with! Please. Nobody wanted to hear his stupid conversations with JP, but that guy…he's such a dumbass!"

"What Takuya really needs is a mute button." TK added.

"What Takuya _really _needs is a swift kick in the head," said Drew with a sinister chuckle. "How does he expect to win a game like this with that frat boy attitude?"

"He's not going to win the game, Drew. He's not even going to make it to the jury," said TK. He paused before he continued in a more cautious tone. "We're going to vote him off next, remember?"

"That's right. He better not win immunity." Drew nodded his head in satisfaction with a smug smirk. Suddenly, he became serious as he turned towards May's direction. "May, you're going to vote with us, right?"

May gulped nervously. This was it. They were asking her _the _question. Luckily, she had rehearsed the fake answer many times with Takato and in her head.

"Of course!" May said in a cheerful voice. "It's Huntail versus Gorebyss, all the way. And we have the numbers over them! Why mess with such a splendid thing?"

Drew and TK stared at May for a brief moment and May had hoped that her answer didn't sound too insincere. Luckily, the two boys began to talk to each other again, which she hoped was an indication that they weren't suspicious of her. _Phew!_ May felt a sensation of relief brushed all over her body. That fake and rehearsed answer was apparently good enough for TK and Drew to accept without suspicion. Thank goodness.

"I can't wait to see his reaction when he gets voted off," said Drew in his usual overconfident demeanour.

"It's going to be a defining moment in our games." TK nodded his head, smiling. His words always seemed less harsh compared to Drew's ruthless insults, but May noticed that they still carried the same hurtful intent.

The three of them continued talking for a while, occasionally drifting off to other topics, but Drew always managed to turn the conversation back into bashing Takuya. After May felt like she had enough excess of hate for the day, she excused herself from the two boys. As she walked away, Drew exchanged a smug smirk with TK. TK shared a similar expression, carrying a coy and apologetic smile on his handsome face. He looked almost too guilty – too guilty at _something_.

"I told you she was a clueless girl. It's obvious she doesn't see the situation the same way we do," said Drew enigmatically.

"She doesn't know." TK muttered, shaking his head. "She doesn't know him at all."

_**Takuya: **On Day 13, May and I made a deal to watch each other's backs at the merge. Well, here we are and both of us are still in one piece. I was going to approach the chick and remind her about our deal, but May got to me first. She sure is a smart and resourceful girl. And a pretty cute one at that too._

Elsewhere in the forest, Takuya was slashing his machete viciously at a tree. He stopped, however, when he spotted May passing by, walking alone. He lifted his right arm and waved at her, and she flashed him a pleasant smile, content to see the athletic Frontier by random coincidence. She had hoped for a chance to have a private conversation with Takuya today and here was her lucky chance.

"Hey Takuya, got a minute?" May asked, smiling sweetly at the Frontier.

Although Takuya was a scrawny person by size – like a hairy monkey, as he would often compared himself, May found the sight of him, just standing there with a toothy grin, oddly appealing in her eyes. He was shirtless, with his sweaty body glistening under the sun rays. A Clamperl buff was tied tightly around his bicep, and in his hand he held a machete with the same manner one would use to hold a gun.

_Very manly. _May thought to herself and giggled.

"Sure, what's up?" Takuya asked, grinning.

"Remember a few days ago when we first met each other? We made a…uh, a _deal_ together, right?" May asked.

Takuya nodded his head, silently indicating that he remembered the event.

"And I was just wondering…is the deal between us still intact?" May asked. She normally wasn't this tactless to ask a question as explicitly as this, but desperate times called for desperate measures and she needed an answer from Takuya _now_.

"Yeah!" Takuya laughed, replying without any hesitation. "I watch your back, you watch my back."

"Oh my god, thank you!" May smiled gratefully at the athletic man. "You don't know how happy you made me feel just for saying that."

"I don't know what I did to make you so happy, but I'm glad to take any credit for it!" Takuya laughed.

"So I assume the target is Cassidy?" May asked, sounding a bit more serious and level-headed before.

Takuya gave a small nod of the head and that was all May needed as a reassuring answer.

"Thank you…again. I knew I could trust you." May smiled sweetly at him. She paused for a second before continuing, "I don't care what they say about you, Takuya. You're a good guy."

Let TK and Drew insult him like immature schoolboys all they want, but May knew that Takuya Kanbara was different from the rest of them. Although he could be a little obnoxious and somewhat boneheaded at times, Takuya was honest. And trustworthy. _And _a nice person.

In any case, May at least respected Takuya a few notches better than some of the spineless backstabbers in her old Huntail tribe. With the exception of Takato, she was now cutting ties with the entire Huntail tribe. There was not a single person on that tribe whom she could trust. She did put her blind faith in each of them once, but they had lied to her, they had backstabbed her, and they had disappointed her. But luckily, May was a smart girl who learned from her mistakes. And from now on, she promised herself that she would no longer trust any of the weasels in the Huntail tribe.

Not Cassidy. Not Drew. Not TK. Not even JP. They all fit in the same dirty mould.

She had seen their true, ugly colours.

- - -

Professor Birch smiled faintly as the Clamperl tribe arrived on the beach. Leading the purple merged tribe was none other than Takuya Kanbara, who wore a wide and slightly smug grin on his boyish face. Professor Birch could tell that the goggle-headed boy was feeling very confident today. It was evident in the cocky swagger as he walked each step in the sand. Judging from his confident poise, the professor almost felt that Takuya _knew _he was going to win the immunity challenge today.

_We'll see about that. _Professor Birch thought to himself, smirking.

"Professor, let's rock and roll!" Takuya laughed, pumping his fist enthusiastically into the air. Standing behind him, a few chuckled, but many others were just rolling their eyes or shaking their heads in embarrassment.

"Welcome to your first individual immunity challenge, Clamperl." Professor Birch said. He paused and then turned towards Casey, who was hugging the golden Pokeball very closely to her chest. "First things first, I'll need to take that immunity idol back, Casey."

A reluctant Casey handed the golden Pokeball back to the Professor. He placed it on a pedestal nearby.

"There's no more need for tribal immunity. From now on, you'll be playing for this…" Professor Birch smiled, holding up a small necklace in his hand. It was basically a small regular Pokeball with a thin, black string attached to it. "The new immunity necklace!"

James nodded his head. Unconsciously, the Team Rocket member wrapped his fingers around an almost identical immunity necklace that he wore around his neck.

"As you could see behind me, there are ten _enormous _tanks behind me. Each of them is filled with the same amount of water." Professor Birch gestured his right hand behind his back. There were ten metallic containers, shaped like large cylinders, lined up next to each other. All of them were elevated from the ground by a slightly slanted slope. "If you look closely near the bottom of each bucket, you'll see a piece of masking tape that is covering a small hole in the tank. At the start of the challenge, that tape will be removed and then…water will start leaking out of the tank."

"Ah…" May murmured. She sounded a bit confused with this challenge.

"Each of you will have a pail." Professor Birch said, now holding a small pail in his other hand. "Taking that pail, you'll race to the beach, fill it with as much water as possible and run back to pour the water into the tank. This process will be repeated _many _times, so it will be a very physically exhausting challenge." After hearing this, a few players groaned, but the professor ignored them. "When you've run out of water in your tank, no more water will leak out of the hole. And when that happens, you're out of the challenge. So this means…the objective of the challenge is to keep water in your tank as long as possible. The last person remaining will win the coveted immunity necklace."

Professor Birch handed a pail to each of the ten players. Then, everybody walked over to a metallic tank before the challenge began.

"Once I give you the signal, remove the piece of tape that's covering the hole. Water will starting leaking and the challenge will begin." Professor Birch raised his hand in the arm. "Survivors ready, go!"

_Ripppppp! _Rika tore the small piece of tape on her bucket. A small circular hole was revealed and soon, a small stream of water began leaking out of the tank. Wasting no time, she got up on her feet and raced towards the beach. A few others were already running ahead of her, wagging their empty pails loosely in their hands.

Takuya was the first person to reach to the sea. He bent down and swooped up a handful of water inside his pail. His bucket was not completely full. In fact, it was barely half-fill. But nevertheless, the impulsive athlete was already running back to his container with his pail of water. James and Cassidy were also in the lead, although the two Team Rocket members were being far more cautious as they ran with their pails. James had a slightly difficult time trying not to spill any of the water inside his pail.

Although the tanks were large in size, the water was quickly leaking out. Takuya took a brief glance at his tank and was surprised to find out that nearly half of the water was already gone from it. He hastily poured his pail of water inside the tank and raced back to the beach. He had to make many more trips if he wanted to stay in this challenge.

While many were able to safely return from their first trip to the sea, TK Takaishi was not so lucky. His injured leg was definitely slowing his pace in this challenge and often, he found himself wincing in pain as he dragged his leg in the sand. By the time he filled up his pail with water at the sea for the first time, almost everybody was on their second or even third trips to fill up water. Soon after, Professor Birch gave a disappointing, but inevitable announcement.

"TK, your tank ran out of water! You have been eliminated from the challenge!" Professor Birch shouted.

May smiled sadly as she briefly glanced over at the blonde, who walked slowly over to where Professor Birch was standing. But she did not have time to care about the progress of other players, since she realized that her own tank was running dangerously low in water. She poured her pail of water inside the tank and began jogging back to the ocean. Hopefully, she could make another trip back before the water in her tank ran out.

"May, your tank ran out of water! You have been eliminated from the challenge!"

_Too late_. May sighed as she joined TK by the sidelines.

As the challenge progressed, many others were dropping out of the challenge as well. Despite their multiple trips back and forth, they simply couldn't catch up with the quick pace of this challenge. With only a small pail, it was nearly impossible to fill up enough water to pour into the tank.

"Drew, you have been eliminated from the challenge!" Professor Birch announced. A few seconds later, he added. "Rika, you have also been eliminated!"

As Rika reluctantly pulled herself away from the beach, she suddenly heard somebody cussing loudly nearby. The Tamer curiously turned her head towards the origin of the voice. It belonged to JP, who had accidentally dropped his pail into his tank while pouring water inside.

"Damn it!" JP shouted. He tried to stretch his arm inside the tank to retrieve the fallen pail, but it was impossible. And just like that, JP could do nothing more but helplessly watch the last of his water leak out from his tank.

"JP, you have been eliminated from the challenge." Professor Birch said, glancing over at his tank.

After four minutes have passed by, only five players remained in the challenge. They ran back and forth across the beach, not knowing the progress of their competitors. An awkward smile crept on Takato's face. For the first time, he realized that he actually had a chance of winning this immunity challenge!

"Casey, you have been eliminated from the challenge!"

"Another bites the dust," muttered Cassidy. With her muscular legs and extensive physical background, it was no surprise that she was the last female contender in the challenge. She bent down and filled up her pail carefully with water. Unlike Takuya's impulsive strategy, Cassidy would rather make one long and lengthy trip than several short and multiple trips.

After filling her bucket completely with water, she began running back to her tank. She briefly scanned the beach. Takuya was pouring water into his tank, while James was dashing back with another pail of water in his hand. Unfortunately, Cassidy's eyes were so focused on the other players that she didn't even see Takato, who was running right in front of her. The two of them collided and crashed, both landing painfully in the sand. To her horror, Cassidy's pail was thrown aside. The water that was in her pail a second ago now formed a small puddle in the sand.

"I'm sorry! I didn't see you! Are you okay?" Takato gasped, running over to Cassidy.

"Get out of my way!" Cassidy pushed Takato aside. As she tried to stand up, a sudden jolt of pain from her knee shocked her into falling down again. Cassidy looked down and finally realized a bleeding cut on her left knee. The injury didn't look _too _bad, but it was certainly very painful.

"Takato, you've been eliminated from the challenge!" Professor Birch announced. While the petite Tamer was trying to help Cassidy get up, he lost a lot of pivotal time in his delay.

Luckily, Cassidy was _still _in the challenge. When she was finally able to stand up on her feet, she grabbed her bucket from the sand. There was still some water left inside. And although her knee was aching with a jabbing pain, she still made it in time to pour the water inside her tank.

However, it was not enough. The small amount of water in her pail only bought Cassidy a few more seconds from her eventual elimination.

"Cassidy, you have been eliminated from the challenge!"

Takuya felt like he was running out of breath. He briefly turned his head to see James, who also looked like he was struggling in the challenge. Takuya bent down and hastily filled his pail with water. As he made his way back to the tank, Professor Birch was raising his arms in the air.

"Takuya…your tank ran out of water! You're eliminated from the challenge!" Professor Birch shouted. "Congratulations! James wins immunity!"

Squealing in joy, James dropped his empty pail on the sand and immediately ran towards Professor Birch. The bearded professor handed the excited Team Rocket member the immunity necklace.

"Thank you sooooo much!" James squealed in his usual content, high-pitched voice.

"This must feel good. Now you have _two _immunities around your neck," said Professor Birch with a grin. He turned towards the rest of the players. "Everyone, good effort in the challenge, but it's not enough. James will be the only person immune tomorrow night."

He paused, glancing at Takuya as he walked up to James and gave him a congratulatory hug. The professor noticed that Takuya no longer walked with that confident swagger in his steps.

"The ten of you have a tough decision ahead of you in tribal council. Get a good night of sleep, because one person will not make the jury after tomorrow night. Who will that be? We'll find out soon…"

- - -

Takato was smiling. His eyes cast upon the shelter in front of him and he felt a gush of pride brushing all over his body. Twenty days ago, he would have never imagined it was possible for him, for _Takato Matsuki_, to be able to help his tribe construct an actual shelter. But he did it. For the entire day, he helped the Clamperl tribe worked on expanding the tribe's shelter. Together, the tribe of ten efficiently took apart the structure and improved on it, working all the way until late evening. Luckily, they had finished the project before the sky got too dark. And now, many players were looking forward to the reward of their hard work: a comfortable night of sleep!

"What are you smiling about?" Rika asked, suddenly appearing out of nowhere.

With her arms folded across her chest, Rika stood beside the goggle-headed Tamer and wore a bemused expression on her face.

"Oh hey, Rika." Takato grinned innocently at his friend. "I was just looking at the shelter."

"Hmm." Rika responded. She was just raising her foot to walk away when Takato suddenly started talking away. Feeling an unexplainable obligation to stay and listen, despite her reluctance to do so, Rika stood still in her position.

"We haven't really talked since we got here." Takato said, smiling. "How were things back in Gorebyss?"

"It was hell," replied Rika.

Takato chuckled. This was the type of cynical answer he had expected from Rika Nonaka. He missed her.

_**Takato: **I wanted to be on Rika's tribe on the beginning, but things didn't really work out after that weird twist. I mean, I'm really glad that she's at the merge with me! But to be honest, I never thought she would last this long in the game. She's never really good with socializing or opening up to people, so I'm surprised…really surprised that she made it here. But still, it's cool to see Rika again. Yeah, she can be a bit standoffish at times, but that's what makes her special…that's what makes her Rika._

"Why are you laughing?" Rika asked, narrowing her icy blue eyes at the petite Tamer. "Is my misery funny to you?"

"N-no! No, I don't mean it like that!" Takato shook his head. In a panic, his mind reverted instantly to an apologetic mode. "I'm sorry!"

It was only when Takato saw a small smirk creep on Rika's face when he realized it was her peculiar method of teasing him. With Rika, even if Takato knew her for so long outside of the game, he could never tell when she was being serious or not. She always wore this unfriendly scowl on her face, after all.

"Goggle-head, I…" Rika began, but she was interrupted.

"There are two goggle-heads on this tribe now, Rika." Takato smirked. "You'll have to be more specific!"

"You…" Rika's lips turned into a thin smile for a few seconds. "You say stupid things sometimes, just like the other dork." She shook her head, making the smile vanish from her stoic face. "Anyway, I have a question."

"A question?" Takato asked, sounding a bit surprised.

There was a lengthy pause before Rika spoke again. It almost seemed to Takato that she was stalling time in her head, as if she was hesitant to ask this so-called question of hers.

"Does Cassidy still have her immunity necklace?" Rika finally asked.

"No. She used it at the last tribal council," said Takato. He turned to face Rika with a raised eyebrow. "Why?"

"Don't be annoying." Rika grunted and she began walking away.

"Hey, wait up!" Takato ran after her. "I have a question for you too."

"What?" Rika asked, sounding slightly irritated.

"Are you going to vote for Cassidy at the next tribal council?" Takato asked, lowering his voice into a soft whisper.

"Yeah, I'm voting for her." Rika muttered enigmatically.

"Me too." Takato said with a small smile.

The two Tamers stood as an air of serene silence passed between the two of them for several seconds. Rika hesitated, uncertain if she should walk away or not. A smiling Takato was gazing dreamily at the starry night sky.

"Look!" Takato gasped in surprise.

"Look where?" Rika asked.

"Look up at the sky!" Takato pointed his index finger upwards. A large, toothy grin formed on his face. "I see a shooting star!"

Rika's head shot up at the sky as she tried to search the sky for the shooting star. At first, she thought she saw a brief flash of light blinking rapidly in the night sky, but it was just another regular star, twinkling restfully in the darkness. Wherever the shooting star was, it vanished from her sight.

"I missed it." Rika muttered.

"Don't worry. There will be a next one." Takato said in his usual cheerful voice. Looking at Rika with a wide, innocent expression on his face, the petite Tamer sat down on the sand and grinned. "Let's sit here and watch the sky."

"That's the problem with you, goggle-head…you get amused too easily." Rika said, shaking her head. But she sat down beside him anyway.

As the two Tamers sat in the sand, silently gazing at the starry night sky, Takato couldn't help but feel a small, sheepish smile spread across his face. Because he did something that he knew Rika would never approve of – he lied to her. There had been no shooting star, it was merely a spontaneous tale fabricated by Takato's imagination. But after twenty days of being split up in different tribes, Takato felt a compelling urge to spend some quality time with his friend, Rika. And so, he made up a somewhat believable excuse, hoping that would be enough reason for Rika to stay and keep Takato company for the rest of the night.

He knew that there weren't going to be many words exchanged between the two, because Rika wasn't a sociable person. But he was happy anyway that the two of them could just sit here and watched the sky in silent bliss. Rika would have her arms wrapped around her knees, while Takato would lie down on the ground with both of his hands at the back of his head. They were simply two friends reunited again on the sandy beach of Clamperl.

Just Takato and Rika and nobody else. Just like old days.

_**Takato: **You can learn a lot about yourself in the game. Being on the island without any luxuries really helps enrich the way you see life. I know I'm a lot more grateful to my parents for providing me a loving home and a satisfying life in the past. When I get back home, I…I just want to give them a big hug and treat them a whole lot better. Yep, that's going to be the first thing I'll do when I return home from this game._

Takato nodded his head a few times and smiled.

_**Takato: **Unfortunately, I think there are some people who are in this game for all the wrong reasons. They are too focused on strategizing and deceiving people. They want to win Survivor so badly that they aren't really enjoying the amazing experiences on this island…_

Meanwhile, Cassidy was nearby the campfire, preparing for tonight's dinner by herself. Just then, Drew approached her from a distance, smirking arrogantly as always. For a second, Cassidy shot a brief glimpse at the Pokemon Coordinator, but she immediately turned away again. She did not make any attempt to speak to him. Drew also seemed to be ignoring Cassidy, for he walked right past the Team Rocket member without even acknowledging her presence. He bent down and grabbed a water container nearby. As he did that, Drew's mouth and Cassidy's right ear came into contact at very close proximity.

"It's safe." Cassidy suddenly whispered.

"Is Casey with us?" Drew asked, speaking in a soft and barely audible whisper.

"Hell yes." Cassidy smirked. She had mastered the skill of speaking without actually moving her lips. "I have that girl wrapped around my hands."

"Good." Drew said as he took a sip of water. The blank expression on his face did not change. "It's exactly as we had planned."

"Are you sure those brats are going to vote with us?" Cassidy asked hesitantly.

"Don't worry. We have the whole game under control," said Drew.

And then, he walked away, carrying the battered container in his small and delicate hands. Cassidy also turned back to her work, with a smug and overconfident smirk plastered prominently on her piercing face. She sighed, almost a little too romantically, as she poured some rice into a wooden bowl. Although the discussion between her and Drew only took place for less than thirty seconds, it cleared out any of Cassidy's doubts about the upcoming vote. In fact, Drew's words helped confirm one very thrilling prospect – Cassidy was in a position of power _again_.

Tomorrow night, Cassidy would go to another tribal council. And the person who she wanted gone would be the one who left. It had always been like that. Things had always gone accordingly to Cassidy's shrewd, strategic plans. And Cassidy didn't intend for any of that to change at the next tribal council.

Nothing could go wrong tomorrow night.

Absolutely nothing.

- - -

**DAY 21**

This morning, TK was resuming his daily routine of jogging by the river. Well, it wasn't so much of a _jog _anymore. At the snail-like pace that he was moving, it felt like an easy stroll in the park by an old man. But after ten days of resting inactively, TK was not complaining. At least he was making progress now. And progress was good. Very good.

"I've gotten lazy in the past ten days." TK smiled weakly at the cameras. "I had to take a break from my usual jogging because of…you know, the _incident_."

He cast a brief glance at his left leg, which TK seemed to be dragging in the sand rather than lifting it.

"Anyway, I feel a lot better now, just walking around the island and enjoying the scenery." TK's smile grew slightly wider. "I'm a pretty realistic guy. For example, I don't intend to win a foot race any time soon. But hey, I've got to think positive!"

Although TK was chuckling lightly at his own remark, the tone of his voice appeared less enthusiastic than his words. It almost seemed like he was trying to persuade _himself _of what he was saying.

"Got to think positive…" TK mumbled.

During his senior year of high school, TK Takaishi was captain of the basketball team, star of the track team, and also athlete of the year. In addition, he was on the honour roll as well as being a pivotal member of the student council. Had he not followed his mother's footsteps in pursuing a writing career, the handsome blonde could have breezed through life as a famous athlete or a successful politician. No matter how difficult the task, TK always found a way of excelling in anything and everything that he attempted. He was the golden boy, after all.

With so many successful attributes in his resume, TK was not used to being inept at anything, especially sports. But ever since his fateful encounter with an Ursaring ten days ago, TK can only sit and watch as his body, his abilities, and his dignity slowly decay into nothingness. Back when he was on the Huntail tribe, his injury gave him no choice but to sit out during many of the challenges. TK Takaishi, who was once named athlete of the year, had to succumb to watching the action from the sidelines. Although TK did not admit this to anybody, there was a tiny part of him that felt so helpless and so emasculated. Before his own eyes, the once mighty TK Takaishi was being reduced into nothing.

_**TK: **I don't know how to describe the pain in my left leg. It's like…numb pain, eh, I'm getting used to it by now. And while I'm very thankful that the wound is recovering, I can't ignore that it's still hurting me a lot. I don't perform as well in challenges as before. I can't help out around camp as much as before. And just overall, I feel weak and useless. I know I've the potential and the capability to do so much more, but I…I just can't do anything in my current condition._

He gazed sadly at the cameras. He had his hand wrapped around his left ankle.

_**TK: **Yesterday, I was the first person eliminated in the immunity challenge. I got last place in a challenge that was basically about running back and forth on a beach, ha! I can already feel the bitter taste of irony in my mouth. I wished I could put on a 'good-sportsmanship' smile and pretend everything is alright. But it kind of hurts a little. This is a huge jab to my self-esteem. _

"Life is good though. I got targeted at the last tribal council, but as long as I'm still here…" TK flashed another stressed smile at the cameras. "I'm just happy to be here."

He bowed slightly to the cameras. With his head tilted down, the white bucket hat that he was wearing fell and dropped into the river. At first, TK expected the rapid waves of the river to carry his hat into the ocean, where it would be impossible for him to retrieve. But luckily, it was caught in between two small rocks in the water.

"Oh damn." TK frowned. He looked around for any available assistance, but found nothing.

He sighed. _Guess I have to take care of this by myself._

TK dipped his right foot into the river and then, he carefully placed his other foot – the injured foot – into the water as well. He tried to ignore the water brushing violently against his wound, although the pain was exhilaratingly painful. TK bent down and reached out his arm to pick up the hat. Unfortunately, his foot made an untimely movement, causing the blonde to slip and fall in the river.

Luckily, the blonde landed on a relatively flat spot and did not hit his head on any sharp rocks in the river. Out of instinct, his left hand was gripping tightly to the shore, the only thing that held him from being washed away by the currents.

"I can't even do a simple…" TK let his voice trailed off. He did not want to think about what he was going to say next. Instead, the blonde closed his eyes and cussed in a frustrated and uncharacteristic manner. "SHIT!"

TK tried to pull himself up with his hands. For a brief second, his body was slightly elevated from the water. But just then, his strength seemed to have evaporated and TK fell once again in the water.

"Useless! Useless! You're so damn useless, TK Takaishi!" TK paused, biting his lips. "You useless piece of shit!"

_Calm down, this isn't like you at all. _TK thought to himself inside his head. _I have to calm down. _Then in a more sarcastic tone, his mind unconsciously added, _Easier said than done._

"Hey…"

TK suddenly opened his eyes, surprised to hear a human voice out of nowhere. In his rage, he did not even notice the presence of another person around him.

It was Takato Matsuki. The Tamer's gentle face was looking down at him, smiling sympathetically at the fallen blonde. He offered his hand to TK, which the blonde accepted as he used Takato's arm to pull himself up from the river.

"Takato, you were…" TK blushed, looking slightly embarrassed at the thought that Takato probably witnessed his breakdown. "Thank you."

"Do you remember on the first day of the game, I jumped of the boat too quickly and fell down on my butt?" Takato asked.

TK nodded his head, although he did not remember the incident. With Takato's help, TK managed to climb out of the shallow river.

"You were the first person to offer your hand to me, TK. You helped me get up on my feet, even when I felt so insecure about myself at the time." Takato continued. "And now, I'm doing the same thing for you."

"Takato, I…" TK mumbled, sounding a bit in awe.

"I have a friend who's just like you." Takato said, smiling vaguely at the blonde. "He's friendly, he's mature and he's also a bit of an overachiever. I sometimes envy him because he seems so perfect all the time." The Tamer paused and gave a small chuckle. "But I know that deep down…it's tough for both of you to put on a façade. It's tough trying to pretend that everything is okay, even when they're falling apart right in front of you. Even as hope slips away from your hand…"

TK remained speechless. He closed his eyes and lowered his head.

"It's not always easy putting up an image. It's not always easy keeping your feelings bottled up." Takato said, putting his hand on TK's shoulder. "Just know that you have friends here who will listen to your problems, no matter what. You don't always have to walk this path alone."

Takato paused. With a coy smile, he looked up at TK again.

"If you want, I can take this walk with you tomorrow…"

The blonde opened his again. For the first time in a long while, a genuine smile spread across TK's handsome face.

"Thank you, Takato…"

_**TK: **This game is not only physically demanding, but it also takes a huge tow on your mental state as well. It's so ugly sometimes. It's a game that draws out all your insecurities, all your fears, all your worst attributes and magnify them in the most unflattering light. I'm usually pretty calm and anchored, but I kind of lost it today. I'm just glad that Takato was here to knock some sense into me when I most needed it. He's a good kid._

TK nodded his head and smiled sadly at the cameras.

_**TK: **I could put on a fake smile and tell the cameras that everything is a-okay with me, but I'm not going to do that. It's not healthy to compose my emotions inside myself all the time. I still have some issues that I've to sort out on my own. I think I could become a happier person if I'm more true to myself, starting from now._

- - -

Cassidy tapped her foot impatiently. Breakfast was getting cold and she was getting hungrier by each second. Sitting beside her on the log, a yawning Casey also looked like she was fed up with waiting. The only other person present was Takuya, who was standing distantly away from the two women. He was not keen on starting a conversation with neither Cassidy nor Cassidy, and the feeling seemed to be mutual.

"TK and Takato are here!" Casey waved. She beamed as the two boys sat down on adjacent logs. "Good morning, TK! Good morning, Takato!"

"Morning, Casey." TK looked around at the inactive camp. "Where is everyone else?"

"Drew and James went fishing on the stupid motorboat," said Cassidy in a bored voice. "They said they wanted to catch some fish in the early morning."

"May and JP are checking treemail or something," said Casey in an equally nonchalant tone.

"And Rika…" Takuya paused and then he laughed. "I don't even know where the hell Rika is. But I bet you she's by herself, just like always."

"I guess we have to wait for them before we eat breakfast…" Takato said, sighing.

"It's impolite to eat this without them," added TK, looking at his bowl of apple slices dejectedly.

"I'm _so _sick of waiting! When did it become a rule that we have to eat together as a tribe?" Cassidy asked, pumping her left fist angrily in her other hand. "I'm hungry and the food is getting cold and I just want to eat, damn it!"

"Yeah, me too." Casey put her hands on her hips in mock anger. "It's their faults that they don't appreciate my cooking!"

"Okay, so it's decided then!" Cassidy said. She picked up her bowl of apple slices from the ground. "Let's eat!"

"Now, now…I'm sure they'll be back." TK said, glancing at the sea for any trace of a motorboat. "I don't think JP will be pleased if we start breakfast without him."

But despite what TK was trying to say, an impatient Cassidy was already digging in the food. She munched on the slice of apple in an unusual loud manner, perhaps even deliberately loud to tempt the others. Casey looked at her tribe members uncertainly, but she began to eat too. Finally, Takato and Takuya joined in, also eating the breakfast laid out in front of them. TK sighed, feeling the peer pressure effect taking place. And soon, he too gave into temptation as he began to eat the apple slices in his bowl.

_**Cassidy: **We aren't in kindergarten anymore, so there's no reason that all ten of us have to be there at each meal. I don't feel bad – we had no obligation to wait for them. They could have leftovers when they come back…if they're lucky._

She cackled with glee.

_**Cassidy: **Honestly, I couldn't care less if there's no food left when they come back. It's not MY problem that they were stupid enough to be away during mealtime! Casey isn't going to cook another breakfast and I sure as hell won't cook anything for those latecomers. So if they're hungry, tough luck!_

"Hey Takato, you were really good at the immunity challenge yesterday," said Takuya, grinning at the other goggle-head sitting nearby. "I didn't think you were that good of an athlete, but…wow, you surprised me, man! If you didn't stop in the middle of the challenge to help Cassidy, you might have won the thing!"

Cassidy shot a spiteful glare at Takuya's direction, but said nothing as she bit on a slice of apple.

"No, I'm not really that good…" Takato laughed modestly. "It was just dumb luck."

"I better watch out though. You're putting up a good fight in the challenges and…" Takauya grinned boyishly and then flexed his right bicep in front of Takato in a playful manner. "There's only enough room for one goggle-head in this tribe!"

"You're funny, Takuya." Takato laughed. Meanwhile, Casey and TK exchanged knowing glances with each other, both resisting the urge to roll their eyes.

"What an ego," muttered Cassidy under her breath.

"Hey, TK!" Casey's head perked up. She turned towards the blonde and smiled enthusiastically at him. "I have been wondering about something ever since I got here…"

"What's on your mind?" TK asked.

"I want to know how you…uh, how you injured your leg." Casey said, casting a short glance at TK's bandaged left leg.

The blonde smiled weakly at Casey. For the past week, he usually wore long pants (mostly track pants) to cover up his injured leg, since he didn't want his injury to be a huge distraction. But due to his accident in the river this morning, TK was forced to change into a pair of shorts, thus revealing the wound on his left leg. It was the first time for some of his tribe members to actually _see _his leg after the attack.

"I got attacked by an Ursaring in the forest some time ago." TK said. His smile was fading away as he tried recalling the accident ten days ago. "Not the best time of my life, but I'm still in one piece."

"Oh…" Casey muttered. She sounded awestruck and embarrassed at the same time. "I'm sorry."

"You're a pretty tough guy to endure that," added Cassidy.

"There are bears living on this island…?" Takuya asked, raising an eyebrow.

Takato nodded his head, which made Casey look slightly squeamish in her face. She put down her bowl of apples on the ground and sighed.

"Come to think of it, don't you think this island is a little dangerous? There are bears wandering on the land that we live on…" Casey whispered, her eyes shifting nervously at the forest. "Is it really safe to live here?"

"It's safe! As long as you stay away from the bears' territory, you'll be fine. My leg was just a very unfortunate accident!" TK grinned, but Casey didn't look convinced at all.

"I don't think I'm too reassured." Casey laughed weakly. "I may have to sleep with one eye open from now on!"

_**Casey: **I think it's pretty scary to live on the same island as a bunch of bears, especially since they attacked TK before. Come on! Doesn't that make them dangerous predators? I know they won't bother us if we don't bother them, but still…I'm still kind of scared for my life, heh!_

"Anyway," Casey forced a small smile on her boyish face. She attempted at a light joke to loosen the tension. "You won't see me take one step into the forest any time soon!"

"Hey, that sounds like a pretty decent piece of advice!" TK added, chuckling.

"I don't think it's _that_ dangerous." Takuya said, frowning. "If you think about it, those bears aren't really that smart. They're just animals…and we are humans! We should be able to outsmart them any day of the week."

He paused and nodded his head a few times.

"Yeah, you know _what_…" Takuya grinned. His cocky voice was growing more confident as he spoke each word. "If we could capture a bear in the forest, we'd be _really _eating! We wouldn't have to worry about our next several meals!"

"Don't tell me you're seriously considering this…" Cassidy snickered.

"We're running low on our food supplies." Takuya said, ignoring Cassidy's pessimistic remark. "If we could just hunt that bear and kill it or something…"

"I don't think that's a good idea, Takuya. They're _really_ dangerous." Takato said, wearing an uncomfortable look on his face.

"There's no way you can catch a bear." TK shook his head quickly. "You'll just end up putting your life in peril. _Our _lives too."

"Don't act like a bunch of cowards! Where's the survival spirit? Where's your sense of adventure?" Takuya said, waving his hand dismissively.

"You're being irrational." TK said.

"Oh, listen, listen! I just got a great plan! We can devise a trap in the forest to lure our prey! It'd be a bear trap!" Takuya pumped his fist in the air with the same enthusiasm as a small child on an overload of caffine. He was obviously ignoring all the concerns that were voiced upon him. "Oh man, I love this idea!"

"Takuya, you…" TK found it more difficult to maintain the calmness in his voice. Before he finished his sentence, he was surprisingly interrupted by Cassidy's outburst.

"For once, I agree with you, kid." Cassidy smirked at Takuya. "The bear trap sounds completely _out there_, but I think it might just work. I'd be really impressed if you can bring a dead bear back home."

Casey raised her eyebrow at her ally. Out of all the reactions possible, she did not expect Cassidy to actually agree with Takuya's idea.

"Aha! An unlikely supporter!" Takuya grinned awkwardly at Cassidy. "But a supporter nonetheless! Okay, that's that! I'm going to start building the trap when we get back from tribal council."

Cassidy smirked, but said nothing. She popped an apple slice in her mouth and began chewing it.

_**Cassidy: **Takuya is the biggest idiot I've met in my life. How could he be so stupid? It's ridiculous that he thinks he could actually catch a large, burly bear with a schoolboy trap like that! I capture Pokemon for a living and trust me…it's not as easy as it sounds. We often go into months of planning and testing before we carry out a massive operation like this. But that boy, he thinks he could just waltz in the forest and by some miracle, a bear would walk right into his trap and he'd be the hero of the day. Get real!_

Cassidy's shrill laughter was piercing to the cameras.

_**Cassidy: **That boy is just way over his head that it's not even funny. Well, it's kind of funny to watch him make a complete fool out of himself. It's obvious that this is another poor attempt on Takuya's part to act like THE alpha male. I don't mind playing along. I'll just keep feeding on his ego because sooner or later, he's going to self-destruct and piss off everyone in the tribe. He's digging his own grave and I'm more than happy to lend him the shovel._

"Oh, you know what…we could use some of the shampoo as bait!" Takuya said energetically. A few of his tribe members tossed him several odd looks, but that just made Takuya's grin widened even more. "The shampoo is honey scented, remember? Man, it would just be perfect for the trap!"

"I hope we don't get eaten by a bear…" Casey chuckled.

- - -

Hours before going to tribal council, a majority of the people in Clamperl felt the need of isolating themselves from each other. The atmosphere was hostile and most people avoided each other in order to achieve some alone time. Rika disappeared inside the forest, while TK took a lonely stroll along the Huntail river. Everybody was dispersed and scattered across camp, hanging out all by themselves. May stared at the inactive tribe, hands on her slender hips, looking slightly confused at the lack of energy in her tribe members. She had expected more strategizing during this time, but everyone was being oddly evasive.

Takato was sitting by the campfire, staring at the pot of boiling water. The baby Seel snuggled cosily by his right sneaker. Going through an amazing recovery, the seal appeared to be in a much better condition than they had found him two days ago. May approached both of them with a wide smile on her face.

"Hi, Takato!" May said in a bright and chipper voice. "Oh, you look a little sad."

"I'm just nervous about tribal council." Takato flashed a weak smile at the Pokemon Coordinator.

"Yeah, me too…" May frowned.

Instead of taking a seat beside Takato, she kneeled down by Takato's feet and stared into the eyes of the baby Seel. As the sea creature played around with Takato's shoelaces, May can't help but feel a large smile spread across her face.

"This Seel is _soooo _cute." May grinned, looking up at Takato. "Do you have a name for it?"

"Not really," said Takato. He paused, and then as an afterthought, he added, "I was wondering if I should call him _Baby Brock_, you know, since Brock was his saviour and all. He was the one who healed this Seel from its injury."

"Baby Brock?" May giggled in her usual girlish voice. "That's an adorable name, Takato! I love it!"

_**JP: **Apparently, Takato named his pet Seel with the weird name of Baby Brock. It's supposed to be a reminiscence of the human Brock and all of his contribution to the Huntail tribe. Umm…yeah. Anyway, a lot of us have our eyes on that Seel for a long time, but it's a little different from Takato's innocent reason. You see, Drew told us about how nutritious a baby Seel's meat is and oh boy, I…I just want a taste of it so badly._

He shook his head slowly and began to chuckle.

_**JP: **I can't believe I'm saying this, but I want to eat Brock._

"I guess he better get used to his new name!" Takato leant down and swooped up the baby Seel in his petite hands. "Hey, little buddy…your name is Baby Brock. B-R-O-C-K. You're Baby Brock."

"Oh my god, you're actually trying to teach it his name…" May laughed, looking amused. "You…you're so cute sometimes, Takato."

"Huh?" Takato blushed.

"Never mind." May waved her hand dismissively. "Anyway, have you talked with your friend Rika yet? You know…about the vote? Since the two of you are friends before this game, she probably trusts you a lot more than me."

Takato nodded his head.

"That's great! I've talked with Takuya too and…" May lowered her cheerful voice into a cautious whisper. She paused and turned her head to make sure no body was listening in to their conversation. "He told me that they're going to vote for Cassidy tonight."

"Rika said that she's voting for her too," said Takato.

"So, it's confirmed." May smiled, looking satisfied. She began rubbing her hands together in excitement. "As long as we team up with the Huntail tribe in the vote, we're going to be safe."

"Do they suspect anything?" Takato asked. Although he did not mention their specific names explicitly, May knew that he was talking about the four members of the Huntail tribe.

"No, they still think we're going to be loyal to them." May smiled. She paused again and turned her head to see if anybody was nearby. "I'm pretty sure they're targeting Takuya at the vote – TK and Drew told me. And they definitely expect that we'll be on their side."

"Is this okay, May? I kind of…I'm kind of worried. Are we doing the right thing, you know, lying to them?" Takato asked, sounding uncertain. "We're telling them one thing, but we are going to do another…"

"I feel bad about it too." May's voice dropped its cheerful edge. "But…but we have to watch out for ourselves. This is the only way to survive."

Takato nodded his head slowly. He was not convinced with May's answer, but he decided not to upset the Pokemon Coordinator any further. The quiet boy placed the baby Seel on his laps and gently patted its head.

_**Takato: **I feel really bad that we're lying to our old tribe. May seems okay with it – well not exactly, she's kind of struggling with the decision too. I know that Huntail voted Brock out and we're avenging for him in a way, but…but I want to stay true to myself. If it's possible, I don't want to lie to anybody in this game. Okay, I'm willing to betray them if it's necessary, but I'm going to feel really terrible about it afterwards._

He shook his head sadly. Takato looked at the cameras with a small, guilty smile on his boyish face.

_**Takato: **I'm too naïve, right? I'm thinking about that too. I hate myself for being weak._

- - -

Standing by the ice sculpture of a majestic Dewgong, Professor Birch could hear the distant footsteps approaching the tribal council set. He opened his eyes and saw the Clamperl tribe arriving. Leading the pack of the ten was Takuya Kanbara, who exerted an air of deluded confidence like always. Professor Birch wanted to roll his eyes. Although he was supposed to maintain an unbiased stance as host, there were a few players who annoyed Professor Birch to an unthinkable extreme. _Drew. Cassidy. Takuya. _The astounding arrogance that they display in every tribal council was like a mutating fungus that spread across their faces. As a man who appreciated the characteristics of humbleness and humility, Professor Birch found these overconfident players unendurable.

"Welcome to tribal council." Professor Birch said in a stern voice. "It's been three days since the ten of you merge into one tribe. May, tell me about the developments around camp."

"Everybody is getting along, professor!" May said, flashing a few sweet smiles at some of the players around her. "Umm…we actually expanded our shelter so it'll fit ten people. I think that project really helped us bond together as a group. I guess I shouldn't apply this to everybody here, but I just love meeting new people. It's a great boost to the energy level around camp!"

"Casey, how about you? Do you feel like an intruder as a former Gorebyss member moving into the Huntail camp?" Professor Birch asked.

"Yeah, I felt like an outsider when I first arrived." Casey nodded her head. "I've been on the Gorebyss tribe for eighteen days and suddenly, bam! I'm surrounded by all these people who are supposed to be my enemy in challenges!" She laughed. "It's kind of nerve-wrecking!"

"We try our best to make you feel welcomed, Casey." TK said, smiling politely.

"I know. I overcame my nervousness when I saw how nice these people are." Casey chuckled. "It's a slam being here ever since!"

"So far, I've heard some pretty positive feedback about the merge." Professor Birch rubbed his chin. "Rika, what are your thoughts on this game being more individual after the merge?"

"It has always been an individual game, professor," said Rika. Like always, her response sounded very indifferent and emotionless.

"Yes, that's true." Professor Birch nodded. "But what about tribal ties? Do you think the ten of you are playing as individual players, or is this tribal council going to be a showdown between the alliances in Huntail versus Gorebyss?"

"It has always been an individual game, professor." Rika repeated.

Several players silently laughed. Professor Birch just groaned and decided to move on to the next person.

"Let's see…James!" Professor Birch turned towards the quiet Team Rocket member. "You got swapped to Gorebyss on Day 13 and now, you're reunited with your old tribe once again. How does that make you feel?"

"Considering that I'm rejected by Huntail…" James began.

"I don't think that's a fair statement, dude!" JP interjected, waving his right arm angrily in the air. "May had to send someone to the other tribe because of the twist. It wasn't like our tribe _rejected _you or anything!"

James opened his mouth to retort, but he was interrupted by a louder voice yet again.

"May I say something?" Cassidy raised her hand. Without waiting for a response from the professor, she turned her face towards Takuya and smirked. "As someone who was heavily affected by the twist, I'd like to add that every decision in this game is personal. I don't care what excuse these people use, but it's a fact that both James and I have been rejected by our old tribes."

"Unfortunately, you're still here." Takuya muttered.

"I'm still here because I need to dish out my revenge." Cassidy cracked her knuckles menacingly. "I won't be satisfied until _certain _people leave this game."

"Hmm…" Professor Birch said, gazing at the group of ten with mild fascination. "Drew, you're being pretty quiet tonight."

"A fool vents all his feelings, but a wise man holds them back," said Drew, smiling faintly. "Good words to follow by in a situation like this."

"You're not that wise, kid." Cassidy laughed. A few players were actually nodding their heads in agreement. Drew just shrugged his shoulders, not responding back.

"Okay, it's time to vote." Professor Birch announced. "Since James has immunity, he can't receive any votes tonight. Anybody else is fair game. Takato, you're up first."

The petite Tamer arrived at the voting booth, smiling nervously. He didn't hesitate as he wrote down Cassidy's name on his piece of parchment.

"I'm really sorry about this, Cassidy. May and I promised that we'll stick with Huntail and vote off the other tribe, but…um, it _is _an individual game. We decided that it's better if we side with Gorebyss tonight. I wished I could tell you the truth so you wouldn't feel blindsided tonight, but I…I'm just really sorry."

Takuya voted, and then it was JP's turn. He sighed and smiled weakly when he held up his vote.

"Nothing personal, but I'm just getting rid of a bad seed in our tribe. I didn't want to do this, but everybody is gonna vote for you, so…yeah. I know you're really excited about the merge and I wished you could stay on our tribe longer. Sorry, dude. Peace out."

Next at the voting booth was May. She wrote down the capital letter 'C' on her parchment, smiled confidently, and looked up at the cameras.

"Sorry, but you might be too naïve if you actually think Takato and I will stay loyal to you guys. We aren't stupid. After what happened at the last tribal council, there was no way we could trust Huntail again. Let's see how you feel to be completely blindsided at the vote, then you'll understand why we switched over to Gorebyss tonight."

She finished writing the rest of the name on her parchment, folded her vote in half and dropped it into the voting urn.

"This one is for Brock."

Drew and TK voted. The two men exchanged a quick, shrewd smile with each other, since both of them knew they wrote down the same person's name tonight.

Rika was the seventh person to vote. Glaring down at the empty parchment in front of her, she hesitated. Although she had never changed the firm decision in her mind, Rika was still surprised that Takuya's words were echoing softly in her head. She didn't realize that what he said to her earlier this evening would leave this powerful of an impact. Rika shook her head and rid herself of these wearisome thoughts.

_I don't care about the stupid goggle-head. _Rika thought as she wrote down "Cassidy" on her vote.

"It would be stupid to vote for anybody else. It has to be you. You have to go."

Casey voted. James voted. And then, Cassidy walked up to the booth, swaggering confidently in her stride. As the last person to cast a vote, the feisty Team Rocket member felt a false sense of importance and power tonight. She picked up the black marker and scribbled down six letters on her parchment.

"It really should be the other guy tonight…"

She folded her vote in half and dropped it into the urn.

"But you're just a scapegoat. You have always been the scapegoat."

Carrying a smug expression on her face, Cassidy turned around and began walking back to her seat. Although the votes haven't been read yet, she already knew the outcome of tonight's tribal council. In her mind, nothing could go wrong with her core of control. Absolutely nothing.

- - -

Professor Birch returned with the voting urn, which carried the ten votes that would determine the fate of one player in this game.

"Once the votes have been read, the person voted off will leave the tribal council area immediately," said Professor Birch.

He reached his hand into the urn and drew out the first vote. After a lengthy pause, he turned it over.

"Cassidy."

Any weak-willed person would feel uneasy at the sight of their name in tribal council, but Cassidy had anything but a weak will. The feisty Team Rocket member sat comfortably in her seat, her long legs crossed and her smug face tainted with a piercing smirk.

Professor Birch pulled out the second vote.

"Cassidy."

She continued smirking at Professor Birch. She knew there was no way that she would be voted off tonight.

"Cassidy."

Casey cast a nervous look at Cassidy, feeling slightly anxious for her ally. But Cassidy appeared unaffected even as the third consecutive vote against her was announced.

Professor Birch felt a slight tinge of disappointment as he pulled out the fourth vote. Turning it over, he read out the six lettered name on the piece of parchment.

"Takato."

Takato blinked several times. For a brief moment, the Tamer thought his vision and his hearing both failed him at the same time. Weren't those letters supposed to read Takuya? And wasn't Professor Birch supposed to say Takuya's name instead?

Before he had a chance to react accordingly, Professor Birch was already revealing the fifth vote.

"Takato."

May swallowed. A sudden sense of panic was arising inside of her. She shot a glance at Takato, who looked equally surprised and confused at the results.

"Takato." Professor Birch paused after he read the sixth vote. "That's three votes for Cassidy and three votes for Takato. There are four votes left."

Takato dropped his head into his knees, feeling helpless. He shot a brief glare at Cassidy, whose smirk grew wider as each vote against Takato was being read. _She knew! She knew all along! _Suddenly, he realized that they were not targeting Takuya tonight. Although they fed him with numerous lies about the importance of Huntail loyalty, his former tribe members had lied to him again. Their true intentions were now clear to him.

They wanted Takato gone.

"Takato."

_Four votes for Takato. _May finally understood that these votes belonged to her four Huntail 'allies', the same four people who promised her that they would be voting for Takuya tonight. They promised her. And they lied to her. _Again._

Professor Birch pulled out the eighth vote.

"Takato." Professor Birch paused. "That's five votes for Takato, three votes for Cassidy."

_Oh my god. This can't be happening! _May clasped her hands over her mouth, desperately gasping for air. This was partly a natural reaction to the surprise, but it was mostly to prevent herself from throwing up in disgust. Everything was falling apart. Tonight, May thought there would be six votes against Cassidy and four votes against Takuya. But now, she anticipated the worst.

Suddenly, she turned to face Takuya. He was staring enigmatically at Professor Birch, who was pulling out the ninth parchment from the urn. May also caught a brief glimpse of Rika, scowling in frustration.

_Did they betray us too?_ May wondered. She slowly shook her head. _No. No, Takuya wouldn't betray us. Takuya isn't the type of person who would be dishonest and-_

"The seventh person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…"

Professor Birch turned over the ninth vote. May groaned when she read the six lettered name on the parchment.

"Takato."

Takato sighed as he got up from his seat. He received a few apologetic pats on the shoulder from a few people who sat behind him. The petite Tamer turned around and smiled weakly at these people in acknowledgement.

"That's enough votes, so there's no need for me to read the rest. Takato, please bring me your torch."

There was an awkward silence as Takato walked over to Professor Birch with his torch. The professor slowly snuffed the flame, diminishing it forever.

"The tribe has spoken." Professor Birch said, staring emptily at the dead flame. "It's time for you to go, Takato."

While the professor spoke, May caught a short exchange between the two Frontier boys sitting at the front bench. JP offered a cocky little smile to his friend – it was almost like a smile of _victory. _Takuya returned it with a lopsided and equally smug grin.

And that was all the explanation that May needed for what happened tonight.

"I'll see you guys later…" Takato mumbled, waving at his tribe before he walked away into the forest.

Professor Birch stood silently by the ice sculpture, watching Takato vanish behind the shadows of the brooding trees. He then turned towards the remaining players on the benches.

"Out of the nine people here, seven will make up the jury that will determine the winner in this game. From now on, every action might affect your chances of winning _or _losing a potential jury vote." He paused as the nine remaining players pondered over his wise words. "You may head back to camp. Good night."

May turned around to glare at Takuya once more. She thought she saw a sincere and apologetic smile flash briefly on his boyish face, but May ignored it. It was easier for her to blame Takuya than actually try to understand him. She would seek for a better explanation tomorrow morning. May wanted to hate Takuya for what he did, even if it was just for one night.

_Takuya Kanbara. _May bitterly repeated that name in her head. She felt _so _stupid to ever trust a sleazy guy like him. _Stupid Takuya. Stupid, stupid Takuya._

He flattered her. He promised her. And then, he betrayed her. He was supposed to be her knight in shining armour. He was supposed to be an escape route from all of her problems with Huntail. He was supposed to be a saintly ally who was _honest _and _trustworthy_. In the end, he was none of these impressions that May had fabricated in her naivety.

Tonight, she had seen the true Takuya Kanbara for the first time. He was just like everybody else in this game. He was a liar, a weasel, a backstabber.

Those were his true colours.

- - -

_**Takato's Final Words**_

Hey, I've no hard feelings for anybody left in the game. I was a bit surprised that I'm voted off, but I guess I've just been outwitted and outplayed, huh? But I'm really proud of myself for lasting twenty one days. I came here as a lost little boy who had no idea what to do and I walk out of this game…well, I'm still the same person, but just a little wiser and slightly more experienced. The million dollars have never been as important to me as much as learning a meaningful lesson on this island. I think I accomplished just that.

I want to wish May and Rika luck for the rest of the game. I know, err…well, I _hope _they are the two people who voted with me tonight. Thanks, but I'm worried that they've put themselves in a bad situation. Anyway, that's it for me. May the best player win this game!

- - -

_

**Next Time on Survivor –**

_

**There is a food thief in the Clamperl tribe…**  
_Cassidy_: I have reason to believe that someone in our tribe did this.  
(A few people gasp. Cassidy smirks.)  
_JP_: I know what you're thinking.

**James loses a crucial possession…**  
_James: _Where is it?  
(James and Rika are searching around the shelter.)  
_James: _I can't find it anywhere!  
(James throws his arms up in frustration.)

**And Drew makes an astounding observation…**  
_Drew: _JP and Takuya are running this game.  
(Cassidy slowly nods her head.)  
_Cassidy: _We need to break the two of them apart.

_**All this and more on – Episode 8: Birds of a Feather**_

- - -

**Author's Notes:** It's a pretty long chapter because of the merge, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless. Remember to leave behind a review and take the Episode 7 survey! Thanks! 


	8. Episode 8: Birds of a Feather

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**  
**By: Gomamon**

_**Last Time on Survivor:**_

_Casey discovers that Takuya hid the food reward from Gorebyss. When she confronts him about his secret, Takuya's lack of remorse causes the argument to remain unresolved. Then, Gorebyss and Huntail merge into one tribe, marking the start of a strictly individual game. After a sleepless and noisy night, the newly formed Clamperl tribe worked together to expand on the shelter. As Cassidy voluntarily becomes the leader of the construction, some people find her aggressive personality too crude and unpleasant._

_Feeling betrayed by their former tribe, May and Takato have plans to side with Gorebyss at the next tribal council. While May promises Huntail that she'll vote with them to oust the unpopular Takuya, she is also secretly making an alliance with Gorebyss in order to blindside Cassidy. However, May is shocked when she finds out that everybody was lying to her, because Gorebyss and Huntail teamed up together to vote off her ally, Takato. Nine remain, who will be voted off next?_

**Episode Eight: Birds of a Feather**

**Clamperl: **_CASEY – CASSIDY – DREW – JAMES – JP – MAY – RIKA – TAKUYA – TK_

- - -

**DAY 22**

It was a cloudy morning in the Dewford Islands. The sun was not visible behind a thick layer of clouds that darkened the sky. There seemed to be a sombre and depressing greyness that surrounded the Clamperl camp. The nine players took advantage of this unusual setting and spoiled themselves to a few extra hours of sleep. The absence of birds chirping helped prolong their peaceful slumber. Even the wildlife on the island was feeling lazy today.

Suddenly, May felt a gentle tap on her right shoulder. At first, she tried to shrug it off and go back to sleep. But there was another tap, this time it felt more like an aggressive grip on her shoulder. Reluctantly, May opened her eyes and saw Takuya's grinning face in front of her.

"I want to talk with you, May." Takuya whispered.

May sighed softly, but she nodded her head in consent. Actually, she didn't know if she was prepared to face Takuya after what happened last night. The emotional shock of being blindsided proved to be far too mentally draining on her mind. But May was sensible enough to realize that the game was not over yet, even though her allies have been voted off in consecutive tribal councils. If May didn't want to follow their unfortunate fates, she knew she needed to take charge and control her destiny.

"Good morning, by the way." Takuya added. A gentle smile spread across his boyish face.

"Yeah, you too." May nodded her head again.

"Let's go sit by the fire and talk," said Takuya, gesturing towards the weakly lit campfire outside of the shelter.

_**Drew: **Last night, May was blindsided by the vote for the second time in a row. Of course, everything was my idea. I was afraid that she and Takato would join Gorebyss to force a tie, so I thought ahead and made a proposal with Gorebyss. We'll team up and vote Takato off, in exchange that Huntail would not target any of the Gorebyss members. They probably thought it was a good deal because we're voting off one of our own, but they don't realize that Huntail now has the majority of five._

Drew flipped his emerald green hair behind his shoulders. He smirked smugly at the cameras.

_**Drew: **I'm so thrilled about the rest of the game! I can already see the desperation and helplessness in May's face. It doesn't matter where her loyalty lies anymore, because she and the other Gorebyss members have no control. But I won't let my guard down. May is a very resourceful girl and that's something I'll give her credit for. We had to target Takato last night because JP absolutely refuses to vote for May. Somehow, she already has that fat pig on a leash, so she's more capable than I thought she was. I'll have to keep a close eye on her._

As May and Takuya climbed out of the shelter, they were not aware that Drew was awake and was eavesdropping on their brief conversation inside the shelter. Although Drew felt like he was still half asleep, his mind was already sketching out a strategy to advance further in the game. He knew it was important to reduce any bonding time between May and Takuya, especially since Drew trusted neither of them. However, if he just woke up and forcefully join into their conversation, it would be too obvious that he was being an eavesdropping prick ("Not that there's anything wrong with being one," Drew thought). No, he should stay inside the shelter for a minute or so, and _then _he will pretend he just woke up, so he could invite himself into the conversation with ease. Nodding his head slightly in satisfaction, Drew closed his eyes and pretended to sleep.

Although his mind sketched out a logical plan, his body had failed him today. A minute later, Drew had unconsciously fallen asleep again. And thus, May and Takuya carried out their one-on-one conversation without any interruption. They both sat on adjacent logs by the campfire.

"I want to know why you voted for Takato last night." May sighed, struggling to get the words out of her mouth. "You…you promised…"

"I'm sorry, May. I had to do what I had to do." Takuya spoke in a soft whisper.

"That doesn't explain anything!" May raised her voice slightly, but not loud enough to wake up anybody sleeping in the shelter nearby.

"Huntail made a proposal with us." Takuya replied sheepishly. "If we didn't agree to vote out Takato, they would have targeted either Rika or me." He paused, shrugging his shoulders. "Better him than us."

"Huh? Wait a second…" May looked a little startled.

"As much as I consider JP a friend, he's sitting pretty secure in his Huntail alliance right now. There was no reason for him to risk his neck to save me." Takuya continued. "He has his pack of four from Huntail and Casey is with them too. Basically, they control half of the votes in tribal council."

"But if you voted with Takato and me, we would have controlled the other half!" May whispered angrily. "We could have forced a tie and Cassidy might have been voted off at the tiebreaker!"

"It doesn't work that way, May. If I lost at the tiebreaker, the game would have been over for me last night. They target me, they win the tiebreaker, and I get voted off. I only have one chance of winning JP's trust and I can't blow it away just yet." Takuya muttered. He paused, using a few seconds to reflect on his words. "If I voted against him last night, he would never be able to trust me again. Gorebyss would have been a doomed tribe."

"But now, we're going to be picked off one by one…" May mumbled.

Takuya frowned. This was the first time May realized that boyish and charming grin had disappeared from his face. The goggle-head in front of him suddenly looked very troubled and remorseful.

_**Takuya: **When we first merged, James, Rika and I all thought that we were going to get welcomed by Huntail with…you know, the good ol' Pagong style. Since Casey is a stinkin' traitor, Gorebyss only had three members compared to the six in Huntail. It was obvious that we'll never hold any control over the vote or at least that was what we thought…_

He wore a grim smile on his face.

_**Takuya: **In the end, Takato became an easy target that everyone can agree to vote off. Instead of making the game a tribal war between two tribes, we were informed by JP and Drew that Huntail was willing to vote out one of their own. I mean, wow! It's a freaking once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for us, you know? Yeah, I felt bad that Takato was the scapegoat, but voting him out was the only way for James, Rika and me to stay together for three more days. And I'm willing to do anything in order to keep the three of us intact._

"You only stalled the inevitable. They're still going to vote you guys off soon," said May.

"If there's one thing I learned while I was on Gorebyss, time is a very important asset in this game." Takuya said, looking earnestly into May's eyes. "There were so many times that I thought I'd be voted off, but I kept on buying myself more time. I even sided with my enemies one time in order to vote out Delia."

He flashed an apologetic smile at the Pokemon Coordinator, but May was looking at another direction.

"And you know what…things did eventually turn around for me. I waited for the twist to happen and it ended up saving my butt. That's why I'm still here today." Takuya continued. "As long as I buy myself more time, even if it's just three more days, I believe that a golden opportunity will pass by sooner or later."

"Even if it means sacrificing one of your own on the way…" May muttered.

"I'm sorry, May. I didn't have the numbers. Beggars can't be choosers." Takuya said.

"No, I understand. At least you apologized for what you did, which is a lot classier than the silent treatment that Huntail gave me for the last two tribal councils." May felt a genuine smile spread across her face. "And I'm sorry for being angry at you, Takuya. I was only thinking about myself at that moment. How selfish…"

"It's okay to be angry at me. Rika was just as pissed when I told her to vote for Takato last night," said Takuya, chuckling.

"Oh? Did Rika vote for Cassidy too?" May raised her eyebrows.

"Yeah, even though she knew about our temporary alliance with Huntail. She…" Takuya stopped in the middle of the sentence and sighed. "She's a rebel. Plus, I think she felt bad voting out a friend, even if she won't admit it."

"That's cool. But what are you going to do now, Takuya? They still have five people on their side." May said in a doubtful tone of voice.

"I'm going to spend the next three days working on JP, trying to get him to flop from his alliance." Takuya explained. "I know he doesn't like Cassidy and I know if I persuade him long enough, he would have a change of heart."

"Are you sure that's going to work? JP can be very stubborn sometimes," said May.

"JP and I are friends. I know him and his little quirks the best. He puts loyal friendships ahead of sensible strategy in his priority list." Takuya nodded his head, trying to reassure himself of his own words. "He has to vote with us. He has to."

"But what if he doesn't switch? What if he stays loyal to those guys for the rest of the game?" May asked.

Takuya paused, pondering about the scenario that May just provided. A few seconds later, he shrugged his shoulders and a lopsided grin spread across his boyish face.

"Then yep, we're all screwed!"

_**May: **I feel really alone in this game. Just when you think you could trust someone, they stab you right in the back. I don't trust Drew, I don't trust JP, I don't trust Takuya, I…I don't know who I can trust. I'm just really confused. They're lying. They're all lying to me._

May smiled bitterly at the cameras. In her hands, she is holding Baby Brock, the tiny injured Seel, with extreme care and compassion.

_**May: **There's no use in campaigning, since these people will just lie and blindside me at tribal council if they want to. So, my strategy now is to just stay really quiet and try to fly below the radar. Be friendly to everyone. Get them to vote the others off before me. Worm myself up to the top. Whatever works, I'm going to do it to survive. From now on, I'm only going to focus on protecting myself…_

She paused in the middle of her confessional. Her eyes gazed down at the Seel that she was holding in her hands. It was looking at her with a pair of whimpering eyes. May couldn't resist the urge to laugh.

_**May: **I will protect myself and Baby Brock. It's going to be the two of us all the way!_

- - -

As noon approached, the sky was covered in an impenetrable sheet of grey clouds. It seemed inevitable that a thunderstorm was soon dawning upon the Clamperl camp. The normally menacing forest looked even scarier in this weather, but Rika Nonaka seemed unaffected by the atmosphere. For somebody who was voyaging inside this dark and eerie forest, she looked surprisingly calm. Her cautious movements resembled a shadow that crept soundlessly in the darkness. Scanning her eyes across the numerous trees that surrounded her, Rika's hands were firmly clutched to a bow and a wooden arrow, ready to react at any time.

Suddenly, she jerked her arms upwards, aiming her bow at a tree branch on a distant tree. With no hesitation, she fired her arrow fiercely at that direction. Rika felt a small smirk spread across her face when she heard a shrieking cry in the darkness. She knew she made a successful hit.

It took her a while of searching around the grounds before she retrieved her arrow, which was pierced through the body of a dead Pidgeotto. Rika yanked the arrow out of its body, showing little emotion as she wrapped the bloody bird around her purple buff. _Tonight's dinner_, thought Rika, smirking.

_**Rika: **Not a lot of people can provide food for our camp. I don't feel right having to depend on those few people to feed me everyday. That's why I go to the forest and hunt. There are a handful of days when I come out empty-handed, but at least it's better than sitting around and doing nothing about the food shortage._

She stared emotionlessly at the cameras.

_**Rika: **If you want to do something right, you have to do it yourself. Don't rely on anyone._

When Rika exited the forest, she only saw one lone person huddled around the campfire. Drew was staring vacantly into the fire, seemingly lost in his own thoughts. Only as Rika approached closer to him did Drew finally notice her presence. He looked up and smirked, acknowledging the Tamer with a small nod of head.

"Ah, I see you've caught a Pidgeotto!" Drew said, smirking slyly at the Tamer. "I'm impressed. They're very rare in these types of forests."

Rika responded with a sharp grunt. Her icy blue eyes were too transfixed at the enormous pile of fish by Drew's feet. There must have been at least half a dozen of Magikarp on the ground. Most of them were dead, yet there were still a couple that were flopping helplessly around for their dear lives.

"You caught all that?" Rika asked, gesturing her hand towards the pile of fish.

"You aren't the only person who can provide food for the tribe, Miss Nonaka." Drew replied in his usual smug and cocky demeanour.

"Oh, I see how it is." Rika nodded her head. She felt a thin, cynical smile spread across her face. "I see, coordinator boy."

"I can see it in your face. This is a little stab to your pride, isn't it?" Drew smirked. He took a brief pause as he analyzed Rika's face for her reaction. "Guess there will always be someone better than you, huh?"

"You talk too much," muttered Rika emotionlessly.

Rika sat down on a log adjacent to where Drew was. Carefully, she placed the corpse of the bloody Pidgeotto on the floor.

"If it's a competition between the two of us, then I guess I just won the first round," said Drew.

"It's not a competition." Rika quickly interjected.

"Ah, that's where you are wrong. I think it _is_ a competition." Drew chuckled. The smirk on his face grew wider. "You just don't want to admit it."

"You only see it as a competition to satisfy your ego." Rika said, scowling slightly at the green-haired Coordinator.

"Touché, Miss Nonaka." Drew laughed. His hand ran across his emerald green hair as he tossed it behind his shoulder. "Touché."

_**Rika: **I've seen a lot of guys like Drew. Simply put, he's full of shit. Every word that he spews out of his mouth is pure bullshit. He acts like he's a tough guy, but he's hiding behind a false front so nobody will know what a coward he is inside. A total slimeball. He's the worst type of coward._

She paused in the middle of her confessional. Despite her harsh words, Rika was actually smiling slyly at the cameras as she spoke.

_**Rika: **Drew might be an ass, but there's more to him than meets the eye._

A loud noise from shore interrupted the middle of their conversation. Rika turned her head around at the origin of the noise. Facing the direction of the river, she could see JP and Takuya approaching from a distance. A grinning Takuya waved at her. Rika turned away.

"Takuya's game is almost over. If you continue to side with him, you'll go down as well." Drew leaned closer to whisper into Rika's ear. "Quit while you're ahead."

"Don't tell me what to do." Rika said emotionlessly.

"Okay, but don't say I didn't warn you…" Drew nodded and pulled himself away from the Tamer.

When Takuya and JP arrived at a close proximity to the campfire, Rika could finally see that the two Frontier boys were each holding a dead Seel in their hands. Takuya was doing a little victory dance as he walked.

"Duuuuude! Look at these huge-ass Seels we caught from Shipwreck Island!" JP bellowed in laughter. "Get prepared for the most delicious dinner tonight!"

"Booyah!" Takuya added, pumping his fist enthusiastically in the air.

"You actually hunted the Seels…wow." Drew said, sounding impressed. He flashed the two of them a faint smile. "How very resourceful. I should have thought of that."

Drew paused and sheepishly looked down at the pile of fish by his feet. All of the Magikarp that he caught earlier now seemed trivial compared to the Seels held in Takuya and JP's hands. He sighed, finally admitting defeat.

"Rika, we're like two children fighting over a swing set on the playground." Drew shook his head and laughed. He tossed a brief glance at Rika, muttering. "I feel stupid."

"I guess we're both stupid." Rika smirked.

The two of them exchanged glances with each other. A few seconds of restful silence eased upon the four of them, a moment when nobody knew how to react. Finally, Drew started chuckling under his breath. Rika also turned away as she tried to hide the thin smirk on her face. Takuya raised an eyebrow in surprise as he turned over to JP for an explanation, but the chubby Frontier just shrugged his shoulders.

"Huh? What's going on?" Takuya asked, scratching his head. He suddenly felt like he was at the butt of a joke that he didn't comprehend. "I don't get it, what's so funny?"

- - -

The Clamperl tribe arrived at the beach for their first individual reward challenge. For some of them, this was actually their first chance to participate in a reward challenge. Professor Birch greeted all of the players with a warm and approachable smile. Some players returned the friendly gesture, but others were more curious about the three black binoculars on the sand. Just as the nine players were approaching closer to the professor, he raised his arms high in the air, indicating for them to stop.

"Please stop walking!" Professor Birch shouted. The players obeyed, albeit they all looked confused at the sudden command. "If you look at the ground in front of you, you'll see there's a starting line painted on the sand. Do not step over that line."

Casey gazed down at her feet. This was the first time she noticed that there was a thin strip of white print spread horizontally on the sand.

"This is for the first part of your individual reward challenge." Professor Birch explained. "The three binoculars on the sand will give you a slight advantage for the next part of this challenge. When I give you the signal, the nine of you will race here and try to grab one of these binoculars. The first three people to grab it will get to use them in the second part of the challenge."

"What a weird way to begin the challenge," muttered James. Several players nodded their heads and agreed with him.

"Survivors ready…go!" Professor Birch shouted.

The nine players immediately sprinted past the starting line. With her long legs and muscular thighs, it was no surprise that Cassidy managed to take the lead in this short race. Her knee was still slightly bruised from her injury at the last immunity challenge, but it didn't seem to affect her performance at all. Takuya, James and May followed closely behind her, all running at approximately the same pace.

"Cassidy gets the first binocular!" Professor Birch announced as the Team Rocket member dived forward, snatching one of the binoculars from the ground. Takuya was right behind her and snatched up the second binocular. "Takuya has the second one! There's one more left…and it seems to be a race between James and May!" Right after Professor Birch made that statement, May and James tripped over each other and both collided in the sand. This opportunity allowed Casey to easily run past the two of them and picked up the final binocular. "And Casey sneaks up from behind, taking the third and final binocular!"

"Oww…" May moaned as she tried to get up from the sand.

"Are you guys alright?" Casey asked sheepishly. Both May and James winced in pain, but they nodded their heads in response.

"Cassidy, Takuya and Casey could use their binoculars to give themselves a distinctive advantage in the next part." Professor Birch nodded their heads at the three of them. "The _real _reward challenge is this. When I blow the whistle, numerous Dewgongs will jump out of the ocean and reveal themselves briefly in the air before diving down again. Your task is to count the number of Dewgongs that have jumped out." Professor Birch nodded his head and continued. "After they're finished, you'll each write down the number on a piece of parchment. The person who counted the number correctly, or guessed the closest number without going over…will win the reward!"

_A challenge that involves just counting. There's nothing physical about this. _TK smiled faintly to himself. _I could actually win it!_

"The ocean is kind of far away…" May muttered. "I don't know if I could really see that far."

"That's where the binoculars come in handy," said Professor Birch, grinning. "Anyway, want to know what you're playing for?"

"Yeah!" Takuya exclaimed.

"Tomorrow morning, the winner of this reward challenge will be brought mainland to the famous Dewford Diner. There, you'll get to enjoy two relaxing meals of breakfast _and _lunch." Professor Birch smiled. "I personally recommend the sausage omelettes."

"Oh _hell _yeah!" JP laughed, rubbing his hand on his stomach. "I want to win this one!"

"Let's get started. Keep your eyes on the sea and count the number of Dewgongs that jump out of the water." Professor Birch explained. "You only get one shot at this, so watch carefully. Survivors ready…begin!"

Professor Birch blew his whistle, indicating the start of the challenge. Immediately, two Dewgongs jumped out of the water, gloriously displaying its white and creamy body for a few seconds before diving into the water again. Several players smiled in satisfaction, easily making mental notes inside their heads. A few seconds passed and three more Dewgongs jumped out. To the players' surprise, there were also some _other _Pokemon that leapt out of the water as well.

"What the…what are those Seels doing?" Cassidy shouted. She pulled her eyes away from her binocular for a brief moment. "What's the meaning of this?"

"Other water Pokemon will jump out to confuse you. Only count the Dewgongs!" Professor Birch grinned. Cassidy cursed under her breath and returned her focus at the sea.

A few minutes passed by in the challenge, with the Dewgongs popping out of the water at infrequent and inconsistent intervals. Several players grumbled in frustration as they lost count, while others just looked confused as they gaped aimlessly at the sea. Finally, Professor Birch blew his whistle again. The challenge was over.

"Write down the number of Dewgongs you saw on your piece of parchment." Professor Birch said, handing out a parchment and a marker to each of the player. "The person who gets the exact number, or is closest to the actual number without going over, wins the reward!"

"I have no idea." Casey chuckled, scribbling a two-digit number on her parchment. "Let me take a wild guess."

After everybody wrote down their guesses on the parchment, Professor Birch nodded his head and smiled.

"The correct answer was thirty five Dewgongs." Professor Birch announced. A few players groaned as they heard the answer, with James muttering 'I wasn't even close'. Professor Birch turned to Casey with a bright smile. "We'll reveal your answers one by one, starting from alphabetical order. Casey?"

"It was a good guess." Casey shrugged her shoulders. She unfolded her parchment, revealing the number '40'.

Cassidy smirked when she revealed her number: '38', which was slightly closer to the actual answer than Casey.

Drew flashed an enigmatic smile as he unfolded his parchment and showed the number, '26'. Although it was the first legitimate answer, he was worried that his guess might be too low.

"It's my lucky number." James laughed, looking embarrassed when he revealed that he had written down '77' on the parchment. "Not even close…"

A confident smile spread across JP's face as he revealed that he had '33' on his parchment, just two less than the actual number.

May shook her head, smiling sadly as she revealed '31'. It was a reasonable guess, but nowhere close enough to beat JP's answer. Rika also had an approximate answer, '30', but it was still not close enough to defeat JP.

"Ah…" Takuya grinned stupidly. He revealed that he had the number '45' on his parchment. "I don't have it. You lied, professor! The binoculars didn't help at all."

Finally, it was TK's turn. He smiled sheepishly at his friend, JP, and revealed the number on his parchment: '36'. Although it was technically the closest answer, he had unfortunately guessed a number that was _over _thirty five, and therefore it was considered null.

"Close, but no cigar." Professor Birch grinned at JP. "With the guess of thirty three, JP wins the reward challenge!"

"Lucky!" JP shouted in glee. He turned towards Takuya and slapped him a high-five.

"Tomorrow, a boat will pick you up to enjoy the reward at Dewford Diner, but of course…you're allowed to bring _one _guest with you." Professor Birch said with a teasing smile. "Who shall your guest be, JP?"

"Takuya," replied JP with almost no hesitation. He flashed an apologetic smile towards the other players. "Sorry guys."

"Thanks a lot, man." Takuya grinned enthusiastically.

"Okay, I'll see you two gentlemen tomorrow morning." Professor Birch smiled. "Sorry, but I've nothing for the rest of you. You may head back to camp."

- - -

TK Takaishi spent the entire afternoon with JP, patiently listening to his friend's endless explanation as to why he chose Takuya to go to the reward with him tomorrow. When Professor Birch demanded the chubby Frontier to choose one guest to join him in the luxurious reward, almost everybody expected that he would pick TK, his best bud for the past twenty one days. However, a few eyebrows were raised when JP decided to pick Takuya instead. For many people, this felt like a truthful revelation to where JP's loyalty and allegiance lied.

JP immediately regretted his decision as soon as he returned to camp. He was so ridden with guilt that he spent all his time apologizing to TK until his speech almost became a garble of nonsense. Luckily, TK was not the type of person who was easily jealous. Truthfully, he never put too much thought into JP's decision, nor did he care – after all, JP never had any obligation to choose TK to go to the reward with him.

"Dude, I'm so sorry! I…I had a brain fart!" JP had said, knocking his fist lightly at his forehead. "I just blurted out the first name that was in my head and I was looking at Takuya at that time, so…" He paused and drew a heavy, dramatic sigh. "I would have picked you if I had a second chance, I'm so sorry!"

"It's alright. I don't mind, really!" TK replied, smiling genuinely at the chubby Frontier.

"Seeing you act so damn forgiving makes me feel even worse." JP frowned. "I'm such a bad friend…"

_**JP: **I felt like crap when I realized that I left TK out of the reward today. He came second in the reward challenge too…I had every reason to pick him instead of Takuya. Besides, he's such a nice guy and I really wanted to treat him something special if I'm given the chance. And here comes the perfect chance to repay him, but obviously, I was thinking with my stomach at that time! Dude, I just feel really, really bad about it. This must be the mistake of the lifetime!_

"When I come back from the diner, I promise you that I'll bring back food!" JP exclaimed. "Dude, seriously! This is my only chance of redeeming my mistake!"

"You don't really have to…" TK muttered, but he was abruptly interrupted by the loud and bellowing voice of JP.

"What do you want me to bring you?" JP asked. "You name it, and I'll try my best to get my hands onto it! Scrambled eggs? Bacon? Orange juice? Ham? Sandwiches…"

In the middle of their conversation, the two men walked past James and Rika, who were enjoying a quiet game of checkers before dinnertime. They were lying on the ground at opposite sides of the checkerboard, which was a nifty little invention that the creative Takato Matsuki left behind. Momentarily distracted, James looked up at JP and TK for a second before he turned his focus back to the game. Rika tapped her finger impatiently on the ground, indicating for James to make the next move.

"Aieee…I think I'm cornered again!" James squealed. He stared absently at the carved checkerboard on the ground and shook his head. "Rika, you're just _too _smart for me! I can't beat you!"

"Toast? Pancakes? Waffles? Ice-cream? Milkshake? Hot dogs? Coffee…"

"I can hear his yapping all the way from here," muttered Rika. Like always, she carried a calm and composed expression on her face.

"He never shuts up!" James added with a small, dry chuckle. He smiled faintly at Rika and asked, "Ready for a new game?"

Rika nodded her head and the two of them cleared the remaining pieces on the checkerboard.

"Chocolate fudge? Pizza? Burritos? Wait…do they sell burritos in diners? Ah, who cares! So, where was I…?"

"The motor mouth is boasting about his stupid reward trip tomorrow, isn't he?" Rika asked, casting a disapproving glare at JP's direction. "What an annoying guy."

"I think he's just rubbing it in our faces." James whispered. The Team Rocket member paused for a few seconds and sighed. "I wished he would stop talking. I'm getting hungry just by listening to him talk…"

"Omelettes? Chicken wings? Doughnuts? Lemonade…?"

_**James: **Rika and JP are like, two completely different people. JP is so talkative and extroverted. He can't keep his emotions bottled up. He has this tendency to express his feelings to anyone and everyone, which could get a bit annoying after a while. On the other hand, Rika is really quiet and introverted. She's the total opposite of JP. It's easy to understand why the two of them don't get along. It's a clash between two really different personalities._

James flashed an enigmatic smile at the cameras.

_**James: **Back when I was on Huntail, I thought I was a weirdo because I couldn't get along with any of them no matter how hard I tried! I feel a little relieved that Rika can't stand these people either. It sort of proves that I'm still sane. Sort of, hehe._

Elsewhere, dinner was being prepared by the trio of Cassidy, Casey and Drew in the kitchen area of the Clamperl camp. Cassidy and Casey were preparing for the basics – pouring rice into bowls and organizing the proper wooden utensils for everyone. Drew was also helping out dinner by skinning the dead Seels with his knife. Although the Frontier boys had hunted these peaceful sea creatures with ease, they of course had no idea how to actually _cook _a Seel, which only meant that Drew had to do all of the work for them. Normally a person who valued highly on cleanliness, he grumbled a little when he caught sight of his hands, dripping with crimson red blood. Casey, who was standing nearby the Pokemon Coordinator, immediately turned away in disgust.

"I'm really pissed that gluttonous pig won the food reward today, especially since he's the one who eats the most food in our camp anyway." Cassidy angrily spitted her words out. She seemed unaffected as she watched Drew brutally mutate the Seel into undistinguishable pieces. "This is so unfair. Damn it! Damn him!"

"I don't care about the reward, but aren't you surprised that he chose to go to the reward with Takuya instead of his _best friend, _TK?" Drew asked.

"May be the two of them are a lot closer than we assume they are…" Casey said quietly.

"I hope I'm just paranoid, but I've a bad feeling about those two. The more they spend time together, the more I think that…" Drew paused. His lips formed a thin frown on his face. "JP and Takuya are running this game."

"You think so?" Cassidy asked, raising an eyebrow with interest.

"Open your eyes. They're in the center of everything that is happening in our tribe." Drew explained. "The two of them are involved with almost every alliance out there. I feel like I'm losing control of this game to those buffoons as we speak."

"Takuya and JP…" Cassidy muttered the names of the two Frontier boys with bitterness. She smirked. "I think it's about time we do something about them. We need to break the two of them apart."

"Unfortunately, we still have to rely on JP in order to have numbers at tribal council, for now anyway." Drew muttered, folding his arms across his chest. "But I agree with you. It's time to force JP to fold his hand. We can't let him keep his little friend in our alliance any longer."

"Damn straight!" Cassidy cackled with glee. Casey could also be seen in the background, smiling faintly.

_**Cassidy: **There has been a slight change to the order of who goes on the chopping block next. Originally, I'm going to finish Butch's revenge and take out that pesky little girl. But let's face it, May has no game. We already cut off her arms and her legs at the last two tribal councils. She's harmless and she's not a threat. Right now, it's more important to separate JP and Takuya for good. The last thing we want is for that scumbag to sway JP's mind about the Huntail alliance. We still need JP. The five of us are solid._

Cassidy grinned menacingly at the cameras. Her voice was dripping with a thick layer of arrogance as she spoke each word.

_**Cassidy: **Ladies and gentlemen, I have an announcement to make. I can guarantee you that three days from now, Takuya Kanabara will be the eighth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands._

- - -

**DAY 23**

JP Shibayama was in paradise.

Surrounded by breathtaking scenery and plates of delicious food, JP wanted somebody to pinch him to make sure that he was not living in a surreal dream. There was a steamy plate of lasagne in front of him, which was accompanied by a bowl of ice-cream sundae, a basket of breadsticks, and a glass of chocolate milk. The chubby Frontier felt a wide grin grow across his face. He knew this was a reality. All the food in front of him was real. And it all belonged to _him_.

"Thanks for bringing me for this reward, man!" Takuya laughed, slapping a high-five with his Frontier companion. The two of them were grinning stupidly at each other. "Now…let's eat like kings!"

"Hear, hear!" JP chuckled, stuffing a piece of garlic bread into his large mouth. His speech became unintelligible as he tried to speak with a mouth full of food. "Arrm sooe gllard datt arrm braughht yuu to da reeford!"

"Arrrcreed!" Takuya added with a lopsided grin.

Earlier in the morning, a motorboat arrived at the Clamperl camp to pick up JP and Takuya for their reward trip. At the sight of the boat, the two Frontier boys began shouting joyously in their rowdy and boisterous voices, despite the fact that other members were still sleeping in the shelter. They were seemingly oblivious to the jealous glances cast by their tribe members, who obviously did not share the same enthusiasm for this reward. A few of them resented the two men for having the opportunity to enjoy a satisfying meal. Others despised them for gloating publicly and rubbing their victory in everybody's faces. And some just needed an excuse to hate JP and Takuya even more.

Nonetheless, JP and Takuya found little remorse as they feasted on their meals at Dewford Diner. As the only two guests present in this exotic restaurant, they got to enjoy the food and the beautiful seaside view all by themselves. JP let out a small, romantic sigh. After twenty three days of eating measly meals and staring at the same bland scenery, this was truly paradise.

"Do you want to order any more food?" Takuya asked, grabbing a nearby menu.

"I feel like a pig for eating so much during breakfast, but who gives a damn!" JP chuckled. "Let's order more, more, more!"

_**JP: **For the awesome kick-ass reward, we were allowed to order as much food as we want from the menu. I went in there with the mindset that I would eat every single piece of food in the menu. And let me add, there were like twenty pages in that menu, with almost every single combination of food I could ever imagine! I know it's going to give me a massive stomach ache afterwards, but it's worth it. Dude, it's totally worth it._

Meanwhile, regular life in Clamperl resumed without the presence of Takuya and JP around camp. Some players lazily went back to sleep, while others began their normal morning rituals. For TK Takaishi, this meant that he would jog around the island by himself, just like always.

"Yo, golden boy! Wait up!" Cassidy shouted.

TK stopped walking and turned around. Cassidy was chasing after the handsome blonde. He found it slightly surprising that she would join him on one of his daily jogs around the island. Of course, Cassidy wasn't the type of person who did things without a second motive. The fiery and hot-headed Team Rocket member always had a hidden agenda. In this case, it was very evident to TK what she was attempting to do.

"Good morning, Cassidy." TK said with a light smile.

"Did Takuya and JP leave for their reward already?" Cassidy asked in an overly casual voice.

"Yeah." TK said, nodding his head. "They departed this morning."

"Hmm…that's interesting." Cassidy smirked. She watched TK cautiously for his reaction. "I wonder why JP chose Takuya to go to the reward instead of you."

TK's smile faded from his face. With a sigh, he turned towards Cassidy with a somewhat frustrated expression.

"Miss Cassidy, you're not being very subtle." TK said, trying to maintain an air of politeness even as he spoke. "If you're trying to drive a wedge between JP and myself, I can tell you that it's not going to work." He paused, and then added as an afterthought. "It's very obvious."

"Well, damn. It was worth a try." Cassidy shrugged her shoulders, but judging from the confident tone of her voice, she didn't seem to be giving up. "But you have to be wondering about this too. Don't you think JP changed ever since he's reunited with his boyfriend again? Aren't they getting a little too close for comfort?"

"Not at all. I have faith in JP." TK said. The optimistic smile slowly returned to his handsome face. "I trust him."

"Trust is a very strong word," said Cassidy with a raised eyebrow.

"The friendship between the two of us is very strong," replied TK.

_**Cassidy:** They call him 'Golden Boy' for a reason. In terms of winning this game, TK poses the largest threat to me. He's trustworthy, he's friendly, he's popular – and goddamnit, he's going to sweep the entire jury at this rate. If TK stumbles into the Final Two, he will win no matter who he's up against. And that's not even speculation, it's an undeniable fact. _

There was a menacing smirk on Cassidy's face as she spoke.

_**Cassidy: **Hell, I should probably break his other leg if I'm given the chance. It'd be the easiest way to remove my biggest competition out of the game!_

The two Frontiers were not in a rush to return to camp. After an enjoyable breakfast, they decided that they would stay at Dewford Diner for just a little longer. For JP, this meant that he had a few extra hours to relieve his massive stomach ache in the restroom. The chubby Frontier, who ate endlessly for two straight hours, was now receiving the painful consequences of eating too much too fast. As for Takuya, he found other ways to entertain himself at the exotic diner.

"Those surfboards look awesome!" Takuya said, eyeing the colourful decoration hanged on the restaurant walls. He flashed a charming grin at the restaurant owner. "Hey, do you mind I borrow them for a while?"

"Go ahead!" The friendly restaurant owner replied. "There're some _sweet _tides coming in at this time of the hour."

"Thanks!" Takuya laughed.

A while later, the adventurous Frontier found himself diving into the ocean with his blue-and-orange surfboard, despite having no surfing experience whatsoever. At first, he had difficulty maintaining his balance on the board, falling clumsily into the water for many times. But being a natural athlete, it didn't take long before Takuya quickly mastered the basics of surfboarding. Soon, he was surfing through the gentle waves and riding the low tides like a pro.

Amazed by Takuya's surfboarding skills, the restaurant owner agreed to let Takuya bring one of his surfboards back to camp. The athletic Frontier was thrilled as he showed off his new present to JP, who was just returning from his seventh restroom trip.

"That's awesome! You totally look like a surfer dude now!" JP joked.

"I had so much fun today. And I know I've said this a million times, but thanks for bringing me to the reward trip." Takuya said with a goofy smile. "You're the best."

"Yeah, I had a great time too…" JP forced a weak smile on his face. He had a trembling hand on his bloated stomach. "But I feel bad knowing that the washrooms in Dewford Diner will never be the same."

_**Takuya: **I owe JP so much for bringing me to this trip, because I got to eat food and I also received a spanking new surfboard too! Words can't even describe how cool JP is. He's such an awesome friend._

Takuya paused, flashing a small, sheepish smile at the cameras.

_**Takuya: **As much fun as I was having, I remembered that we're still playing a game. It's important to use this time and persuade JP to change his mind. If he sticks with those Huntail losers, then everybody in Gorebyss is screwed. And I can't let that happen. Not without a fight, anyway._

"Before we leave, there's something important I want to discuss with you about." Takuya began. He cast an uncertain glance at his Frontier companion. "It's about the upcoming vote."

"Oh. About the vote…" JP's smile immediately faded from his face.

"You know that Cassidy is the reason why Zoe was voted off, right?" Takuya asked.

"That's in the past." JP mumbled, averting his gaze elsewhere.

"But we're friends, JP. We've been friends longer than we've been with any of these people here," said Takuya. "I think it's ridiculous for you to stay loyal to your current alliance, especially since you're hanging around losers like Cassidy and her lapdog, Casey." He paused for a dramatic effect. "Vote with me. The two of us can change the game together. We can control every vote in tribal council. Give me a chance. Give your _friend _a chance."

"This…this is too sudden. I need some time to think about it." JP quietly replied.

"That's cool. I understand." Takuya nodded his head.

"Takuya, we shouldn't let this game affect our friendship." JP sighed. "No matter what happens, I still want to be your friend after this is all over."

"Of course, I feel the same way." Takuya nodded his head again.

JP could see a tinge of bitter disappointment in his friend's face. He knew what Takuya was thinking. _I can't even commit to an actual answer. _JP sighed. _It was a half-assed response. He knows it. I know it. We both know it._

The chubby Frontier closed his eyes. He suddenly felt the heavy burdens of Survivor on his shoulders again.

And he knew he was no longer in paradise.

- - -

It was gone.

"Where is it? Where is _it_?" James mumbled nervously.

The athletic Team Rocket member was on his knees, crawling around the deserted shelter as he searched for his missing object. Standing outside of the shelter was Rika, who wore a very nonchalant expression on her stern face. She was leaning against one of the supporting beams of the shelter.

"When did you first notice that it was gone?" Rika asked.

"I…I don't know! I put it away somewhere before I went to sleep, and when I woke up this morning…it was gone!" James replied.

Rika frowned. She scanned her eyes around the shelter and shook her head. Aside from some personal belongings and a few articles of clothes, there was nothing else that even resembled what James was looking for.

"Your attempts are futile. I don't think it's in the shelter. You would have found it hours ago if it was in there," said Rika.

"B-b-but…" James stammered. He closed his eyes and offered a dramatic sigh. "But I've looked everywhere! Where else could it be?"

"I still can't believe that you lost your immunity necklace." Rika grunted. She slowly pulled her back away from the shelter. "How could you lose such a pivotal possession?"

"I've been taking extremely good care of it! I've been treating it like it's my _baby_! My _life_!" James sobbed hysterically. "But I can't find it anywhere!"

"Calm down, James." Rika scowled, looking a bit disconcerted at James' behaviour. She was uncertain how to react next. Dealing with other people's emotions was completely out of her element and unfortunately, James happened to be a very emotional person. In her small circle of friends, it was always Takato or Henry who comforted people in distress. Rika vaguely remembered snickering at her two friends for being mushy and sensitive. But now, she felt angry at herself for being so useless in this situation.

"I think I'm having a breakdown…" James sighed heavily. He wiped an imaginary tear from his eye.

"Did you leave it at the Gorebyss camp when we were packing?" Rika asked.

"I know I brought it here! I was wearing it at the last immunity challenge too!" James said.

"Are you sure?" Rika asked, sounding unintentionally pessimistic.

"Not really…" James mumbled.

_**James: **I lost my immunity necklace today. No, not the one that I won in the challenge a few days ago…the other one – the necklace that Professor Birch gave me at the swap. It was like a shield to me. An ace-in-the-hole. I could have whipped out my personal immunity before any vote that I don't feel confident about. But I can't find it anywhere! I can't believe I could lose such an important item like this!_

James squealed in frustration. His voice always sounded high-pitch whenever he was feeling nervous or aggravated.

_**James: **Never in my life have I felt so vulnerable before. I've a really bad feeling about this. If my tribe members find out that I don't have my immunity necklace anymore, they might…they might just capitalize on this opportunity and vote me off!_

Just then, Casey arrived at the shelter, carrying a handful of clothes in her puny arms. Rika ignored her, but James managed to force a weak smile on his face when he saw the energetic little girl. Unlike Rika, he didn't hold a strong grudge against the baseball lover for 'betraying' Gorebyss at the merge.

"I just finished the laundry! Hip, hip, hooray!" Casey grinned enthusiastically. A normal person wouldn't celebrate over the completion of such a mundane task, but it was _Casey_ after all. Almost everybody had gotten used to her eccentric quirks by now.

Walking past Rika without acknowledging her, Casey dropped the pile of clothes inside the shelter. She tapped James lightly on the shoulder.

"What are you doing, James?" Casey asked, wearing a bemused expression on her face.

"I…I lost something, Casey!" James cried.

"Huh? What did you lose?" Casey asked.

James hesitated for a moment, uncertain if he should give the specific details to Casey. Can he trust her? After all, she was officially aligned with the _enemy_ – she was no longer on his side. But in the end, the trusting nature of James overcame his suspicious instincts, and he told her everything.

"When I woke up this morning, my immunity necklace was gone." James said, burying his face with his hands. "I have no idea where I misplaced it."

"Ah…so, you don't have your necklace with you anymore." Casey raised her eyebrows in surprise. A small, sheepish smile spread across her face. "I guess this means that we can vote you off at the next tribal council, doesn't it?"

James gasped and opened his mouth in surprise. Seeing James' comedic expression, Casey couldn't resist the urge to burst into girlish giggles.

"Nah, I'm kidding! I'm kidding! Don't kill me!" Casey laughed.

"_Not _funny!" James shouted, putting his hands on his hips in mock anger. "Okay, it was a little funny, but it gave me quite the scare! Don't do that again!"

"Anyway, I think I have what you might be looking for…" Casey grinned.

The petite baseball fan dug her hands into the pile of clothes that she put down earlier. James was anxiously looking on, squealing in excitement every now and then. Eventually, Casey pulled out an immunity necklace from a pair of baggy, white pants. She handed the black necklace (with an ordinary Pokeball attached) back to its rightful owner.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you!" James shouted in joy.

"You left it in your pocket. I found it in your pants when I was doing the laundry earlier." Casey explained. "Hey, you're lucky that I was on washing duty today, because I don't think Cassidy would have been as generous. You should take better care of it, you know!"

"Thanks so much, both of you!" James beamed gratefully at Casey and Rika. "I'll never lose this necklace again! I promise!"

_**Casey: **To be honest, James having that individual immunity is a double-edged sword. It's helping and hurting him at the same time. On one hand, the necklace guarantees that James will stay for three more days if he's in danger. Of course, he needs to know that he's in trouble first in order for it to be useful. It's still better than nothing though!_

Casey shrugged her shoulders.

_**Casey: **However, the necklace also puts a huge target on his back. It gives people a reason to vote James off, because they don't want to give him an opportunity to use his individual immunity. Everybody knows that the longer James stays in the game, the more difficult it will be to get rid of him in the future…_

- - -

Minutes after JP returned back to camp from the reward, he was ambushed by Cassidy, Drew and TK under a large apple tree in the forest. At first, JP thought it was an enthusiastic greeting from his alliance members, but he soon found out there was a second motive. There was _always _a second motive.

"Welcome back." Drew smirked. The short Pokemon Coordinator was leaning against a tree trunk, with his arms folded across his chest.

"Gee, I'm sorry that I didn't bring back any food from the reward…" JP smiled nervously. He tried his best to lighten the hostile atmosphere with a small joke. "But you guys don't need to corner me like this!"

"There has been a slight change of plans." Cassidy ignored him. "We discussed about it while you were gone. It's time for Takuya to go next."

"Unless he wins immunity, then we'll vote out May." Drew nodded his head.

"Huh? What the…whoa, wait a freaking second here!" JP scratched his head, looking confused. "I thought we all agreed that it's going to be James and Rika, in that order! This isn't part of the plan!"

JP turned his head towards TK, hoping for a proper explanation. The blonde just shrugged and flashed a weak smile at him.

"As I've just said, we changed our minds. Takuya is too much of a threat." Cassidy sneered.

"C'mon guys, get your priorities right! James has an immunity necklace that he could use at any time!" JP argued, waving his arms frantically in the air. "If we don't stop him now, he's going to skate his way into the finals!"

"As long as the five of us – us four and Casey – vote together, it doesn't matter what the chopping order is. James can go at another time." Drew explained in a calm manner. "Right now, we need to make sure Takuya leaves before he begins an unstoppable challenge streak."

"But that's not a good reason!" JP shouted.

"Let's face the truth…the only person who can kick his ass in the challenges is _me_." Cassidy smirked.

"She has a valid point, but that's not important." Drew said, resisting the urge to roll his eyes at the egoistical Team Rocket member. "JP, you need to remember that if any of us wants to make it far into the game, we all have to vote for the same person at every tribal council."

"I agree. You can't let your emotions get in your way." Cassidy said.

"Dude, I know…" JP muttered.

"May be you need some alone time to think about it." Drew offered. He wore a satisfying smile on his face. "Tell me your decision when you're ready."

"Don't take too long!" Cassidy added.

Cassidy and Drew began to walk away together. After they were out of JP's earshot, the Team Rocket member bent down and whispered into Drew's ear.

"I think that worked out magnificently." Cassidy cackled. "Machiavelli has nothing on you, kid!"

"Just like I thought, we need to apply a little pressure on him in order for him to remain loyal to us. He needs to realize that he can't have everything that he wants." Drew grinned. "This isn't JP's game. It's ours."

_**JP: **Oh man…this really sucks. My alliance wants to vote out Takuya, but I'm not big on that idea at all. Takuya is my friend. And I just can't vote out a friend, not in these conditions. Cassidy is like, 'Oh yay! Let's vote out Takuya and get into the Final Five together!' and I'm thinking, 'Dude, I don't really want to go into the Final Five with someone like you, you know?'_

After the departure of Drew and Cassidy, JP let out a huge sigh. He sat down on the ground, leaning his back against the trunk of the large apple tree. TK, who had an empathetic smile on his face, sat down beside his friend.

"This sucks." JP muttered. "This game sucks."

"What's on your mind?" TK asked.

"Honestly, I don't want to vote out Takuya. We're just ganging up on him because we've the numbers and…and that's not fair to Takuya. He deserves better than that." JP paused, shaking his head. "What do you think, TK?"

"I think it's in our best interest to vote out Takuya now. He's athletic, he's sociable, and he's obviously the leader of Gorebyss." TK replied earnestly. A thin, sheepish smile began to form on his handsome face. "But you know, we have _other _options instead of sticking with Drew and Cassidy all the time."

"Ah, do you mean…?" JP's head peaked up with interest.

"The way I see it is this. If we make it to the Final Five with Drew, Cassidy and Casey, we're going to get end up getting fourth and fifth." TK said.

"Why?" JP asked, scratching his head. "It should be fair game amongst the five of us…"

"We're outnumbered by those three. It's clear that they have a pact to stay together. It's an alliance within an alliance." TK explained. "Cassidy, Casey, and Drew all want to go to the Final Three together. Therefore, we'll be voted off as soon as we're down to five."

"I see the big picture now." JP rubbed his chin. "We'd do their dirty work for them and then, they'll have the nerve to vote the two of us out!"

"Exactly." TK nodded his head. "Of course, it's the same scenario with Takuya, Rika, and James. Those three are obviously going to stay together no matter what. Even if we align with them, we'll still end up getting fourth and fifth."

"Things aren't looking good for either of us, eh?" JP chuckled nervously.

"The only way we can make it into the finals together is to flip-flop between these two sides. We'll have to switch alliances at some point of the game." TK said slyly. "Why not start now?"

"This is a devious side of you that I've never seen before, TK!" JP laughed. "But I like the way you think!"

"No matter what your decision is, I'll on your side. You can count on that!" TK flashed a genuine smile at JP.

"I know I could rely on you." JP grinned widely at the blonde. "I don't know what I'm going to do yet, but I'll make up my mind very soon…"

_**TK: **I'm starting to get the hang of this game. It's a game that involves numbers, alliances, and deception. At one point of the game, I realize that I won't have the numbers, my alliance will turn against me, and the only thing that could save me is a little deception._

TK smiled at the cameras.

_**TK: **I never claimed to be a selfless person. I don't like backstabbing people, but I didn't sign up for this game to let other people vote me off at fourth or fifth place.I play to win._

- - -

Cooking was a job that many tribe members were reluctant to become. Before the two tribes merged, Mimi and Brock were the designated chefs for Gorebyss and Huntail respectively. They cooked fabulous meals and kept everybody's stomachs full, but they were voted off several days ago. When the merge arrived, a new chef needed to be assigned. Takato bravely tackled the challenging task – until he was voted off at the last tribal council. Now, three chefs had been voted off consecutively, causing some people to reconsider this role. James suspected that there was a 'chef curse' and while nobody believed him at that time, it provoked a lot of fear in the current chef of Clamperl – Casey.

"Cassidy, you used to cook with Mimi back at Gorebyss. But I don't see you cook food anymore…say, you don't believe in the curse, do you?" Casey asked Cassidy in a casual conversation during the evening. The aggressive Team Rocket member was sitting on a nearby log, waiting as Casey prepared for dinner.

"No." Cassidy replied. And it was a truthful response, considering that the feisty Team Rocket member had not touched a cooking utensil since she arrived at the Huntail camp. "I'm not a superstitious person."

"It seems like too much of a coincidence that three chefs have been voted off in a row." May joined into the conversation. She was also sitting on a log near Cassidy.

"Well, they're stupid if they vote off the person who's keeping our mouths fed." Cassidy smirked. She turned towards Casey and winked at the petite girl. "Hey, don't be afraid to put some nasty bugs in their food. If they're going to vote you off anyway, then let them pay for it!"

Casey laughed. Sometimes, Cassidy could tell some really funny jokes – _assuming _that she was joking, of course.

"Just between the three of us, there's something that is bothering me lately." Casey said, casting a nervous glance at Cassidy and May. "Every morning I go check on our rice supply…and lately, I'm noticing that some of the rice seems to be _disappearing_. I don't know what happened, but there just seems to be less rice!"

"A thief!" Cassidy immediately gasped.

"I don't know. May be there's more to this than it seems." May said, sounding hesitant. "It could be a wild Pokemon who sneaks in at night and steal our food."

"That's true…" Casey nodded her head in agreement.

"Hell no! There's no way a Pokemon could steal food this neatly!" Cassidy shook her head in a condescending manner. "Girls, this is definitely the work of a _human_! Someone is stealing food in our tribe!"

"She has a point." Casey continued nodding as she turned towards May. May just shrugged her shoulders.

"This is an important issue!" Cassidy leaped up from her seat and clapped her hands together. "I suggest we call a tribe meeting right here, right now! Everyone, gather around! There's a THIEF in our tribe!"

_**May: **Personally, I don't think there's a food thief in our tribe. The food may or may not have been missing, but there was no need to make such a big deal over this. Cassidy tends to blow things out of proportion sometimes. She just wants to stir up some unnecessary disharmony in our tribe. _

May paused in her confessional for a few seconds. She let out a small, girlish giggle before continuing.

_**May: **Wherever Cassidy goes, drama follows._

All nine tribe members gathered around the campfire after Cassidy's announcement. She was standing on a log, a position which indicated her supposed authority over the Clamperl tribe. She cleared her throat and smirked arrogantly at the other players. Some, like Rika, did not look impressed with the theatrics.

"Today, Casey reported that some rice was missing from our supplies." Cassidy began, using a loud and commanding voice as she spoke. "

A few players shot some glares at Casey's direction. The petite baseball fan smiled nervously at them, wishing that she could evade the spotlight.

"I have a reason to believe that someone in our tribe did this." Cassidy declared. "There is a thief amongst us."

Several gasps could be heard after Cassidy made such a daring accusation. Rika folded her arms across her chest, still looking unimpressed.

"Guys, I know what you're thinking." JP said, waving his hands wildly in the air. "It's not me. I didn't do it!"

"How _interesting_! The one who's most guilty is the first to claim that he's innocent." Cassidy leaned down and glared into JP's beady eyes. "Just so you know, kid…you were my prime suspect."

"Back off! I said it wasn't me!" JP shouted, taking a few steps away from the Team Rocket member.

"Look, whoever did it should just fess up. There's no need for this drama!" Cassidy faked a high-pitched sob. She shot a glare at JP's direction. "Right, JP darling?"

"Does anyone find it absolutely hilarious that Cassidy – who steals Pokemon for a living – is accusing someone else of stealing?" Takuya rolled his eyes.

"What are you suggesting, punk?" Cassidy raised her voice. She suddenly turned all of her attention towards the skinny goggle-head.

"I think you're the food thief, Cassidy." Takuya said, smirking in a self-content manner. "You probably stole the food and you're now blaming it on other people, just so other people wouldn't suspect you."

"How brilliant! The thief is delegating the blame on someone else!" James giggled. In a soft whisper, he mumbled, "Take notes, Jessie and Meowth!"

"Shut up! You have no right to accuse me of stealing the food!" Cassidy raised a fist in front of Takuya's face.

"Just like you have no right to accuse JP of stealing the food!" Takuya boldly retorted. He glared at Cassidy, almost daring her to deliver that punch. "I guess you shouldn't be such a bitch to people then, huh?"

"You're pushing your luck, you scumbag!" Cassidy shouted. "Let me remind you of the position that you're in. You're in the minority and you're next!"

"We'll see about that at tribal council, wouldn't we?" Takuya grinned cheekily.

"Everyone, everyone…time out!" TK suddenly interjected. Both Takuya and Cassidy glared at him impatiently. "Stop it, both of you! I don't think any of us should accuse each other without actual evidence."

"He's right. Besides, it's probably just an animal or something." JP nodded his head.

"You think an animal would actually come to our camp and just steal a neat handful proportion of rice?" Drew muttered pessimistically. "If you say so, genius…"

"That's not the point, Drew." TK said in a calm and collected manner. "But until there is proof that one of us actually steals the food, we can't go around pointing fingers at each other. Let's try to be civil and mature about this." He paused, glancing at both Takuya and Cassidy. "Bickering won't solve anything."

"Listen to the golden boy. He knows what he's talking about." JP chuckled.

_**JP: **Takuya and Cassidy are like oil and water. They just don't mix. It's amazing that they didn't get into a major argument until now. Freaking amazing!_

The chubby Frontier put a hand on his forehead and laughed.

_**JP: **After today, it's very clear to me that these two can't be on the same tribe as each other. For the sake of our tribe and our sanities, one of them has got to go._

"Well, alright…I'll let it go for now." Cassidy sighed heavily, making it very clear to everyone that she was not pleased with the temporary resolution. "But let me warn every single one of you here, I'll be _watching_. And if I ever catch the person who steals food in our tribe…" She smirked, throwing a glance at the two Frontier boys. "That person is going to have a very, _very_ unpleasant time on this island."

"Just let it go, you miserable bitch." Takuya muttered.

- - -

**DAY 24**

May knew the importance of winning an immunity challenge today. Nobody told her that she was in danger tonight. In fact, they had indicated the opposite – many informed May that she was actually safe at the next tribal council. Supposedly, there were other targets beside her. But May knew better than to trust her tribe members, the same people who had lied to her repeatedly as if she was a gullible girl with no thoughts of her own. But not anymore – May had smartened up. If the past two tribal councils were any indication of things to come, May knew she had to watch her back at all times. And the only effective way of saving herself was winning _immunity_.

"Immunity...is my number one priority." May said, smiling sweetly to the cameras. "I really want it. Oh my god, I want it more than anything else in the world. If I don't win it, I'm as good as gone."

She closed her eyes and shook her head in disbelief. As much as she tried convincing herself with her own words, May knew that reality presented a much harsher truth. At the last immunity challenge, she ended up getting second-to-last place. What were the chances of her winning the next immunity challenge, especially with all of these intense competitors in the game?

But no matter how unfavourable her odds were, May was not about to give up without a fight for her life. She refused to be _underestimated_.

"I've gotta win this. I've gotta win this." May muttered to herself as she retrieved treemail this morning. "There's no other way. I've gotta win this."

She flashed a determined smile at her right wrist, which was tied with a dark purple Survivor buff.

"For Brock and Takato…I will win this." May said.

When she arrived at the mailbox, the Pokemon Coordinator expected to find a scroll, which was the usual form of treemail that they received. It usually contained a vague description of the upcoming challenge. Things were a little different today. Instead, the poem was written on the fragile shell of a white Pokemon egg, which had the shape and size of a regular football. When May brought the treemail back to camp, a few tribe members speculated about the unique nature of their upcoming immunity challenge.

"I wonder what this egg has to do with the immunity challenge." May said, flashing a brief glance at Casey, who was sitting nearby. The petite baseball lover was boiling the water by herself and May decided to keep her company.

"May be we have to cook it?" Casey suggested with a goofy grin.

"The first person who can make scrambled eggs wins immunity!" May tried speaking in her Professor Birch impersonation, although she failed miserably. She let out a small, girlish giggle. "You know, that challenge could actually be kind of fun."

"I just hope we can eat the egg after the challenge is over!" Casey added.

"That's a given!" May chuckled.

"No offence to the guys, but I really hope one of the girls could win this challenge today." Casey said, beaming cheerfully at her tribe. "We're getting a bad rep because Gorebyss lost all of those challenges to the men."

"Yeah! I think it's time for a change! Go girl power!" May exclaimed, pumping her fist energetically in the air.

"Go girl power!" Casey echoed.

May and Casey united their hands together for a moment…before both of them burst into fits of giggles.

_**Casey: **I'm sorry, but I really dig May. I know she's not in my alliance and therefore, she's supposed to be my enemy…but yeah, I like that girl. It feels kind of weird, because I initially didn't think I could spend time with someone so different from me. I'm a bit of a tomboy and May is kind of a girly girl. But what do you know? We're getting along great!_

Casey smiled at the cameras. Her dimple faintly appeared on her rosy cheeks.

_**Casey: **She's sweet, she's pleasant, and she also has a very competitive edge. What a deadly combination! I won't be surprised if May kicks all of our butts in the next immunity challenge. She's really, really determined…and I like that. I like that a lot._

"I think you've the best chance of winning a challenge, Casey. You look so sporty! You would do awesome in those physical challenges!" May grinned.

"Not really. Just because I like sports doesn't mean I'm athletic." Casey smiled modestly. "Thanks for the compliment though."

"You're very welcome." May returned the smile. "Are you ready for the upcoming challenge?"

"I'm ready to cook the egg, eat the egg, polish the egg, or even balance the stupid egg on my head if I have to!" Casey exclaimed with enthusiasm. "Game on! Let's go already!"

"I can tell that you're pumped about the challenge! I like that spirit!" May laughed.

"How about you, May?" Casey asked, rubbing her hands together in anticipation.

"I'm going to try my best." May said, gazing vacantly at the sky above. "I think I need this immunity more than anybody else out here."

"Oh, I don't know about that…" Casey said sheepishly. For a second, May thought she saw Casey wink at her direction. "You get along so well with everyone. And there are _other_ people who have been getting on everybody's nerves." She paused and flashed a thumbs-up to the Pokemon Coordinator. "You'll do fine!"

"I sure hope so!" May said. A faint smile spread across her face. "I sure hope so…"

_**May: **I don't believe a word they say. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. Fool me three times, shame on all of us! I know I'm not safe at tribal council. In fact, I'm pretty sure I'll be voted off if I don't win immunity. It's crucial that I do well in this challenge, or I'm going home._

May nodded her head a few times, wearing a very serious and determined expression that was rarely seen by the other players. This was her game face.

_**May: **No matter what anyone tells me, the only way I can guarantee myself three more days in this game is immunity. I must win it!_

- - -

Going into this immunity challenge, Takuya felt pressure to perform well more than anybody else, even more so than May. After butting heads with his archrival Cassidy, he would be stupid to think that he was safe at the next tribal council. In fact, Takuya was almost certain that he would receive votes tonight. It felt like the writing was already cemented into stone. He could already picture his name coming up five damned times at tribal council tonight. The smirking faces, the snuffed torch, the walk of shame…

The only thing that could save him right now was a miracle – a miracle that came in the form of a very precious immunity necklace.

Takuya needed time. Takuya needed three more days. Takuya needed that immunity necklace.

"Welcome to your eighth immunity challenge, players!" Professor Birch greeted the Clamperl tribe with his usual friendly welcoming. He gestured towards James with his hand. "First things first, I need that immunity necklace back, James."

James smiled weakly. He removed the necklace around his neck and gave it back to the beefy professor.

"Immunity is back up for grabs. I'm sure a lot of you want to be wearing this little baby around your neck." Professor Birch announced.

May nodded her head very eagerly.

"Let's get to the challenge. Today, the nine of you will be partaking in a scavenger hunt." Professor Birch explained. "There are hundreds of Pokemon eggs hidden inside the forest. You'll be given three minutes to search around the forest and bring back one Pokemon egg." Professor Birch smiled. "When the three minutes are up, I'll blow a whistle and everybody will stop what they're doing and return. If you show me that you've a Pokemon egg, you'll proceed to the next round. Otherwise, you're out of the challenge." Professor Birch nodded his head as some players gulped nervously. "This challenge will continue until there are three or less players remaining. In that case, the first person who brings back a Pokemon egg to me will win immunity. Understand?"

"This sounds like an Easter egg hunt, professor." JP joked.

"This is for immunity!" Professor Birch shouted while the players scurried to the entrance of the forest. "Survivors ready? Go!"

The nine players ran into the forest and soon disappeared behind all of the trees. They quickly dispersed in different directions, searching high and low for a Pokemon egg in this dense and brooding forest. Whether the eggs were hidden away carefully in between the trees or whether the eggs were located in plain sight, nobody knew.

"I found one!" May exclaimed happily.

A brown and spotted Pokemon egg was tied to a tree trunk by some pieces of mountain rope. May quickly ran towards the tree and began untying the egg. Very soon, the egg was in her possession and the lucky Pokemon Coordinator quickly ran back to meet with the Professor.

Other players were having worse luck. JP found himself running around in circles after losing his sense of direction in the forest. TK also had a difficult time navigating the forest without whacking his head on a branch or tripping over a stump.

"The forest hates me." TK chuckled to himself, trying to get up after he had slipped on a wet rock.

Elsewhere in the forest, Takuya was starting to panic with his lack of luck. The minutes were passing and he still did not find a Pokemon egg yet. As he hastily scanned through his surroundings with his alert eyes, he noticed a strange pile of leaves nearby a tree. Feeling suspicious, he gave that pile of leaves a small kick with his foot…and he unveiled a yellow egg underneath! He sighed in relief as he picked up the Pokemon egg that was cleverly hidden underneath the leaves.

Ten seconds later, the whistle blew. The first round was over. All of the players exited the forest and gathered around Professor Birch.

"Those who don't have Pokemon eggs are eliminated from the challenge." Professor Birch said. He browsed through each player's inventory. "May, Cassidy, Casey, Rika, and Takuya…all moving on to the next round!"

"It's just me and the girls." Takuya grinned. "I get all the luck in the world."

"The rest of the men, please take a seat on the ground…you're now out of the challenge." Professor Birch gestured James, Drew, TK, and JP to a vacant area beside him. He turned his attention back to the remaining players. "You have three minutes to bring back another Pokemon egg." Professor Birch declared. "Survivors ready? Go!" The five players quickly disappeared into the forest again.

A minute later, Cassidy emerged from the forest, proudly presenting a pale orange Pokemon egg to Professor Birch. The beefy host gave a small nod of head, indicating his approval. Cassidy smirked confidently. She was definitely proceeding to the next round!

Another minute passed in the challenge, but still nobody came out with an egg. Cassidy's smirk grew wider.

"Let's say that the round is over and nobody comes out with an egg. Does this mean I win by default?" Cassidy asked.

"Yes." Professor Birch nodded, although he seemed reluctant to say the following words. "If nobody else has a Pokemon egg, you'll win the immunity challenge."

Soon, Professor Birch blew the whistle, marking the end of the second round. Cassidy watched in anticipation as the players walked out of the forest. Her hopes of winning were quickly dashed when both Rika and Takuya came out, holding a Pokemon egg in their hands. However, Casey and May were empty-handed, thus they were eliminated from the challenge. An extremely disappointed May joined Casey and the men on the ground as spectators.

"Since there are only three of you left, we're moving on to the final stage of the challenge. Go into the forest and find an egg. The first person who comes back out with an egg will win immunity." Professor Birch paused, glancing at the three remaining players. "Survivors ready? Go!"

Takuya wasted no time as he jogged into the forest. He first tried searching in the bushes, and then his eyes scanned above, through the tree branches and leaves. Finally, he spotted a pink and polka-dotted egg inside a nest, which was located on a flimsy tree branch. Using his agile and flexible body, he climbed the tree and snatched the egg from the nest.

"Got it!" Takuya grinned to himself. All he had to do now was run back to the professor and claim his victory.

Hopping down from the tree, Takuya began running back at the direction where Professor Birch was. Suddenly, he heard footsteps approaching behind him. He turned around and saw that Rika was running after him.

"Phew, it's only you." Takuya wiped his forehead with his hand. "You gave me a scare."

Rika merely grunted as a response and jogged away. They were still competing in a challenge and this was no time for inane chit-chat. Takuya noticed that she wasn't carrying an egg in her possession.

And then, Takuya did a something that surprised even himself.

"Rika…wait! Don't run away!" Takuya called after the Tamer. She stopped and shot the Frontier boy an annoyed glare.

"What do you want?" Rika asked impatiently.

"Take this egg." Takuya shoved the egg into Rika's hands. "Take it! Go…run to Professor Birch right now! Win the immunity necklace for me!"

"Takuya, what the hell are you doing?" Rika asked. In an uncharacteristic moment, she looked very dumbstruck and confused. Her eyes briefly gazed down at the polka-dotted egg that she was holding. "You found this egg! Why are you giving it to me?"

Rika tried pushing the egg back into Takuya's hands, but the athletic goggle-head forcefully grabbed the Tamer's wrists and stopped her.

"You…need…to…win…immunity!" Takuya's intense words gritted through his teeth.

"Now is not the time to be a selfless hero, you stupid idiot!" Rika said angrily. She tried moving her hands, but Takuya were still gripping onto them with an amazing force. "You _need _the immunity necklace more than ever! You're their target at the next tribal council! If I take this from you, you'll get voted off!"

"No! Don't you understand, Rika? _You_ have to win this immunity." Takuya clenched his fist. "JP is our only hope of gaining a majority again. And there's no way that he'll betray his alliance in order to save you!" He paused, glancing hastily to check if Cassidy was nearby. "James has immunity. You have immunity. They'll have to target me at tribal council. It's perfect. If JP knows that I'm in danger, he'll be forced to switch his vote!"

"He's not going to help you. You…you stupid, impulsive idiot…" Rika muttered. She finally shook herself from Takuya's grasp.

"Listen, I want you to go and bring this egg to Professor Birch. I want you to win immunity and I want you to vote Cassidy out at tribal council." Takuya said in a rushed whisper. "I'll do my best to lay the biggest guilt trip on JP. Hopefully, I'll be able to persuade him to vote out Cassidy."

"No, I won't do it. I don't want to owe you any favour." Rika shook her head slowly.

"Don't be stubborn, Rika!" Takuya raised his voice slightly. "If you won't take my offer, I'll smash this egg on the ground and let Cassidy win immunity! Would you like that instead? Would you?"

Rika remained silent. She was staring angrily at her own feet.

"JP isn't going to help us unless there's no other choice. If it's a decision between you and Cassidy, he's definitely going to vote you off. But if the vote is between Cassidy and me, he'll value our friendship and…" Takuya's voice trailed off as a wave of cynicism brushed against his mind. It took him a second to recover. "Anyway, just take the egg!"

"Alright…" Rika sighed. "I'll do it, Takuya."

"Good." Takuya nodded his head. Rika turned around and began to leave, but Takuya interrupted her. "Just one more thing," Takuya said. He grinned boyishly at the Tamer. "I like it better when you called me _goggle-head_. It's more affectionate."

"Kanabara, you're one of a kind." Rika muttered as a thin, barely visible smile spread across her stony face.

Without further ado, Rika ran away, carrying the pink and polka-dotted egg in her hands. Soon, she emerged out of the forest to a round of polite applause from the spectators. Rika turned her head around, scanning her eyes for a certain feisty blonde in the audience. Luckily, Cassidy had not found an egg yet, which only meant…

"Rika wins immunity!" Professor Birch announced.

Rika merely nodded her head. She gazed icily at the professor, wearing a stern and solemn expression on her face. She knew that she didn't win this immunity challenge. It was given to her by Takuya, like a farewell present that she felt too courteous to refuse. If only Rika had any other choice, she would not have accepted the Frontier's offer. She didn't deserve this immunity necklace. And despite her victory, Rika couldn't celebrate under these traumatic circumstances. She couldn't celebrate at all, knowing that her victory was at the expense of Takuya's doom.

With the necklace, she had given herself three more days in this game. But he was definitely going home tonight. The only thing that could save Takuya now was a miracle.

And Rika knew that miracles never happened.

- - -

It was no secret to anybody that a powerful alliance existed between the members of the Huntail tribe. Although Cassidy wouldn't hesitate to label herself as the leader, it was Drew who craftily recruited JP and TK into his alliance. Despite their obvious differences, the four of them shared a common goal in the game. They voted together and successfully ousted Brock, the former Huntail leader. At the merge, their alliance strengthened when Casey joined them, thus forming an impenetrable five-person bloc. Their alliance prevailed for the second time in the row, eliminating Takato out of the game. As their dominance in the game continued, they made a pact with each other that they would stick together until the Final Five.

Although the Huntail alliance was dominant and influential, there were visible cracks within the alliance. When so many colourful and rambunctious personalities were constrained to working together, it was inevitable that they clashed. This was a fact that JP Shibayama found out hours before tribal council. And now, he was starting to have second thoughts about the upcoming vote. For Drew and Cassidy, this was bad – _very _bad.

"I don't want to vote out Takuya." JP announced in a very loud and clear voice.

Drew almost choked on the apple slice that he was eating. He couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Damn you! You're so indecisive! Can't you make up your mind already?" Cassidy exclaimed. She punched her fist angrily in her other hand. "It's not just about _you_, okay? It's about the five of us!"

"I'm not saying that I won't vote with you guys! I'm just suggesting that it's a better idea to vote James out!" JP argued.

"In the grand scheme of things, James is a pawn." Drew said, sighing. "He's meek, passive and a little naïve. He's not going to make any big moves."

"How can you say that?" JP shouted. He folded his arms across his chest. "He has an immunity necklace that he could use at any time. He's way more of a threat than Takuya is!"

_**Drew: **Once again, I'm dazzled by JP's display of MENSA-level of intelligence. Or not. Talking strategy with him is like talking to a brick wall. He has a perfect alliance that he could ride all the way to the Final Five, but he has to go and mess up everything! _

Drew smirked defiantly. He flipped his emerald green hair over his shoulder.

_**Drew: **He's too emotionally chained to his friendships in this game. It's going to bite him in the ass sooner or later._

"Guys, let's try to sort this out in a rational manner." TK said, although his quiet voice was drowned out by all the incessant arguing from the rest of his alliance.

"Yeah, TK is right!" Casey added in a shouting voice. Her energetic voice was louder, but her alliance members ignored her nonetheless.

"And what happens if James uses his immunity necklace?" Drew asked.

"He _thinks _that Takuya is going to be voted off, so he won't use it!" JP replied animatedly. "That's the beauty of my plan. We can blindside James and get rid of him while we can!"

"That's something an idiot would think of!" Cassidy snapped.

"I don't understand why you're all so fixated with getting Takuya out. That's allyou talk about nowadays." JP said, shaking his head very rapidly. "Is it because he's my friend? Is that why you're jumping up and down and trying to get him voted off?"

"Get real! You have to vote off Takuya at one point of the game!" Cassidy yelled, stomping her foot furiously on the ground.

"Yeah, I can understand that part. But…" JP muttered.

"My goodness, you voted out Brock for the same reasons!" Cassidy interrupted, sounding very impatient with the Frontier. "Why are you suddenly being so defensive?"

"Get off my case! I'm _not _being defensive, Cassidy!" JP shouted in a defensive manner.

"No matter what we do, the five of us have to stick together." Drew said. He clasped his hands together to illustrate his point. "Remember, we're in an alliance together and we're going to cruise to the Final Five."

"I don't care. I'm going to cast a vote against Takuya tonight, whether you like it or not!" Cassidy snapped. She was almost taunting in front of JP's face like a child. "You can't stop me! You can't tell me what to do!"

As Cassidy stomped away in fury, Cassidy and Drew followed after her. JP just rolled his eyes at the three of them, cursing softly under his breath. TK bit his lips, looking very uncomfortable at the situation.

"Have you made up your mind yet?" TK asked in a soft whisper.

"I don't know." JP muttered, scratching his head. "I really don't know."

"I'm going to support you all the way," said TK, smiling.

"Thanks." JP sighed heavily. "After tonight, I think I'm going to need all the support I could get…"

_**JP: **I could stick with my Huntail alliance, vote out Takuya, and become the worst friend in the world. Or I could join forces with Takuya, backstab Cassidy, and piss off a lot of people in my former alliance. Dude, I realize that I'm stuck in a bad, bad, bad situation. Someone's going to be angry at me no matter what happens tonight._

JP buried his face with his big, burly hands.

_**JP: **TK and I will decide who goes home at tribal council tonight. It's kind of frustrating and mind-boggling. Do I vote out my buddy, Takuya? Or do I vote out my ally, Cassidy? Either way, I'm in the driver's seat. I'm the man of the hour. I hold all of the power at tribal council. Both sides need our votes, but I honestly don't know what to do. Even now, I don't have a firm decision about what I'll do tonight. Let's see what happens at tribal council first._

He removed his hands off his face, revealing a thin, cynical smile.

_**JP: **It's amazing how much influence I have over this game, yet I have no idea what to do with it._

- - -

Judging from the intense and fierce expression on the tribe members' faces, Professor Birch already anticipated that this tribal council will be packed with conflict and drama. _Nothing new_, thought the professor to himself, hiding a smile from the cameras. After the players lit their torches and sat down, he began his usual round of questions.

"Let's start with you, James." Professor Birch turned towards the Team Rocket member. "I've heard rumours that there's a food thief around camp. Is it true?"

"I'm out of the loop, professor. May be it's a human, may be it's an animal." James shrugged his shoulders. He flashed a brief glance at Cassidy's direction. "Cassidy apparently thinks the thief is someone from our tribe."

"Cassidy? I'm sure you have a lot of opinions about this issue." Professor Birch was now facing the other Team Rocket member in the tribe.

"Damn right, you bet I do. I don't even know where to begin." Cassidy smirked. "I originally thought it was JP, you know, for obvious reasons." The smirk on her face grew sharper. "But now, I'm starting to lean towards Takuya. He definitely has a low enough character to do something like this. He's scum."

"Considering your profession, isn't that the pot calling the kettle black?" Professor Birch asked, raising an eyebrow.

A few players snickered at the professor's remark. Takuya seemed to get the largest kick out of the comment.

"It's about time someone called her out on her hypocrisy!" Takuya rolled his eyes in frustration. "Cassidy walks around here, thinking she's so much better than everyone else. I can't stand her. I absolutely can't stand her!"

"I've the exact same opinion of you, darling." Cassidy snapped.

"It seems very obvious that the two of you don't like each other." Professor Birch gave a small nod of head. He turned towards the petite girl sitting beside Cassidy. "Casey, you've spent time living with both Takuya and Cassidy. What's your take on these two former Gorebyss members?"

"I agree with Cassidy." Casey replied.

"Like any good lapdog would say." Takuya muttered under his breath. Casey shot him a dirty glare.

"Takuya, you realize that seven of these people here will make up part of the jury." Professor Birch tapped his finger on his lap. "Aren't you afraid that you are alienating some of them with these disparaging comments?"

"If I make it to the finals, I have a pretty good idea of who will and will not vote for me." Takuya shrugged his shoulders nonchalantly. "Besides, I don't think I'll make it that far in the game anyway."

"Why not?" Professor Birch asked.

"If you haven't noticed already, I'm a dead man walking. Some of them are practically shooting daggers out of their eyes at me!" Takuya laughed.

"Cassidy, you hate Takuya that much?" Professor Birch asked.

"Daggers are an understatement." Cassidy smirked. "I prefer weapons that could inflict more piercing pain."

"Thank you, Cassidy." Takuya said, smiling sweetly at the feisty blonde.

"You're welcome, Takuya." Cassidy returned the fake smile.

"Look at how superior she's acting, JP. You don't need me to tell you what type of person Cassidy is. But I will do it anyway." Takuya faced towards his Frontier buddy, who was sitting a few seats away from him. "She's vile, offensive, arrogant, greedy, and utterly heartless. She isolates people and gangs up on them with her cliquish friends. She manipulates her friends and then disposes them when she has no need for them. She will bulldoze anyone who's in her way of winning." Takuya paused, shooting an angry glare at Cassidy. "Is Cassidy the type of person you want to associate with in this game? How can you align with someone like her and vote me out?"

"He has a brain of his own. He can make opinions of me by himself." Cassidy immediately retorted.

"JP…somehow, you seemed to have gotten yourself involved in this war between Takuya and Cassidy." Professor Birch remarked.

"It's not easy being me." JP smiled weakly.

"Do you know who you're voting for at this tribal council?" Professor Birch asked.

"I think I know, professor." JP said, nodding his head. He turned around and briefly glanced at TK. The blonde seemed to get the signal and also nodded his head. "It's very clear to me now."

"It's time to vote." Professor Birch said, gesturing towards James. "James, you're first. Would you like to use your immunity necklace before the vote?"

"No sir." James shook his head.

"Okay. You can cast a vote for anybody except Rika, who has immunity tonight. Since James decided not to use his immunity, he is also vulnerable to the vote." Professor Birch turned towards the blue-haired Team Rocket member. "James, go ahead."

James crossed the bridge and arrived at the voting booth. He picked up the marker and wrote down 'Cassidy' on the piece of parchment.

"You remind me of the wicked, big-mouthed queens in those Disney movies. And those women never have happy endings. You…you're just _too_ much. Please go home, Cassidy. You're making everyone soooooo miserable."

Rika followed afterwards. As expected, she cast the second vote for Cassidy that night.

"This vote is seven tribal councils too late. Your tyranny is over."

Rika dumped her vote into the urn. She lingered in front of the cameras, uncertain what to do next. Her hand slowly reached up and grabbed onto the black immunity necklace that she was wearing.

"And goggle-head, you better not leave…" Rika muttered sternly.

TK was next. He cast his vote and returned to his seat, wearing a polite smile on his face.

Takuya voted. Cassidy voted. It was more than obvious that the two of them voted against each other.

The sixth person to cast a vote was Casey. Normally apologetic in her votes, she seemed a little livid as she scribbled down Takuya's name on the parchment. Her resentment was probably fuelled by Takuya's snippy comment earlier in the night.

"I'm so sick of the Takuya show. You really need to get over yourself buddy! Stop being so egoistical and stop thinking that everything is a personal attack against you. Yeah, I'm sure you're a nice guy outside of this game, but good riddance you're finally gone!"

Drew also voted against Takuya. He wore a smug smirk on his face as he wrote down the Frontier's name.

"Takuya Kanabara is the living example of how _not _to play Survivor."

May cast her vote and quietly returned to her seat.

JP was the last person to arrive at the voting booth. He stared at the empty parchment for a long time before finally writing a name down.

"I've thought about this decision for a long time. I thought about what my alliance told me. I thought about how I shouldn't let my friendship with Takuya interfere with my game. I thought about how I'm going to be viewed as a target if I hang out with Takuya too much. I thought about all those unflattering rumours about how the two of us are loud, obnoxious and unpopular with everybody. I also thought about how I don't want to upset my alliance and how much I don't want to backstab them."

Grinning, the chubby Frontier held up his vote in front of the cameras. The name contained seven letters.

"But I'm sorry, you guys. I'm going to stick with Takuya. That's what friends do, they help each other. Birds of a feather flock together…"

- - -

"I'll go tally the votes." Professor Birch said, walking away.

Drew watched JP's expression carefully as he returned to his seat, wondering if he stayed loyal to the Huntail alliance tonight. The chubby Frontier had a sheepish smile on his face, but that was a fairly ambiguous expression. _He has to vote out Takuya. He just has to. _Drew thought, reassuring himself. He was confident that JP made the right decision. As many faults as JP might have, backstabber was not one of them. After all, Drew remembered that JP went berserk when James backstabbed the 'Breakfast Club' at the first tribal council. JP wouldn't backstab us – he hated backstabbers.

Takuya was also watching JP's face, although for a different reason. The athletic goggle-head could only hope that JP voted with them tonight. Takuya took a huge risk tonight – giving Rika the immunity necklace, pressuring JP to treasure their friendship, butting heads with Cassidy yet again. Takuya just wanted to stay in the game, no matter what. JP Shibayama was his only hope.

"Once the votes have been read, the person voted off will be asked to leave tribal council area immediately," said the beefy professor, who returned with the voting urn in his hands.

He pulled out the first vote from the urn.

"Cassidy." Professor Birch announced, trying to conceal a delightful smile from the cameras. He was not a huge fan of the rude and aggressive Team Rocket member.

May nodded her head slowly in acknowledgment of her vote tonight. She recognized her cursive writing on the piece of parchment. She didn't fully trust Takuya and she didn't think she ever will, but for this tribal council, she wanted Cassidy gone as much as Gorebyss did.

"Takuya," said Professor Birch, reading the second vote.

"Cassidy."

"Takuya."

"Cassidy."

"Takuya." Professor Birch said, repeating Takuya's name for the third time. "That's three votes for Cassidy and three votes for Takuya. There are three votes left."

The athletic Frontier looked very tense, occasionally turning sideways to sneak a brief glimpse at JP.

Professor Birch pulled out the seventh vote. He turned it over.

"Cassidy. That's four votes against Cassidy." Professor Birch said, smiling in satisfaction. "It takes five votes to be voted off."

Suddenly, Drew felt a brooding sense of fear – perhaps for the first time in tribal council. He was not in danger tonight, but he knew his unawareness over Cassidy's elimination would be just as bad. Already Drew can feel that the game was slipping through the cracks of his fingers. He cast a worried glance at Cassidy, but she seemed unfazed at the sight of her own name.

Professor Birch put his hand inside the voting urn and pulled out the eighth vote.

"The eighth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…" Professor Birch smiled, revealing Cassidy's name in big, blocky letters. "Cassidy. You'll have to bring me your torch."

Cassidy folded her arms across her bosom, disgruntled and displeased with the results tonight. Sitting beside her, Casey had a classic 'deer-in-the-headlights' expression on her face, looking absolutely dumbstruck. Drew held his head down, concealing his emotionless face from the cameras. Cassidy sighed heavily as she got up from her seat. She grabbed her torch and walked over to Professor Birch in silence.

"Cassidy, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch said, snuffing her torch out. "It's time for you to go."

Slowly, a wicked smirk spread across the Team Rocket member's face. She might have been voted off, but she was _not _departing without giving the backstabbers a piece of her mind. Instead of walking over to the forest, she turned around and faced the players who were sitting on the bleachers.

"You," Cassidy said in a dignified voice. She pointed her crooked finger at JP's direction. "Yes _you_, you pathetic slob. Goddamnit, you're one of the worst players I've ever seen in my life! You were blessed with an opportunity to piggyback your way into the Final Five. But you dare to vote _me _out and keep that _scumbag _around?"

Cassidy stomped her right foot on the ground to emphasize her anger.

"You and your indecisiveness disgust me, JP Shibayama. Let me tell you something - _you_ will not be receiving my jury vote until hell freezes over." She paused, smirking smugly. "That is all."

"Please leave now, Cassidy." Professor Birch said in a solemn manner. He did not look impressed with her theatrics.

Cassidy nodded her head. She grabbed her torch and angrily marched into the forest. A few players watched her body eventually disappear behind the sea of trees.

For a while, the tribal council was filled with an awkward and uncomfortable silence. Cassidy's words had left a larger effect on the group than anybody imagined. Even Professor Birch looked like he had no idea what to say next. Surprisingly, the silence was broken when JP started to laugh all of a sudden. Several players turned to him, displaying genuine concern for the chubby Frontier.

"God, she's such a _bitch_!" JP laughed, slowly shaking his head in disbelief.

Takuya snickered.

"You voted out Cassidy, but her role in the game is not over yet. From now on, she'll be returning every three days to tribal council as a jury member." Professor Birch quietly announced. "She is one of the seven people who will decide who wins the one million dollars in the end. With that said, you have a lot to think about after tonight. You may head back to camp, players."

That night, each player walked out of tribal council with a new lesson learnt. For Rika, this vote revived her hopes for the game. Cassidy finally left, Takuya was still here, and the Tamer somehow stumbled into a majority position again. Contrary to what she believed in, miracles _do _happen in this game. And for JP, this vote reassured him that he made the right decision tonight. He could already feel the camp morale increasing without the presence of Cassidy. He was certain that when he woke up tomorrow, the sun will shine brighter and the birds will chirp a happier tone. Life will be so much better without Cassidy.

But for Drew, this vote had been a rude awakening. It was literally a smack in the face that he never saw coming. He thought he was the puppet master, the one who was pulling all of the strings in the game. He thought he was the master manipulator, the one who could weave flawless lies and cunning schemes. He thought he was the Sole Survivor, the one who would win by playing the perfect game.

Tonight, Drew realized just how powerless he was in this game. All it took was one spontaneous decision and his house of cards collapsed right in front of his eyes. And now, he had no more alliances, no more allies, no more friends, no more power, and no more hope.

Drew lost everything.

This was no longer his game.

- - -

_**Cassidy's Final Words**_

Damn, I don't even know where to begin. I think I intimidated a lot of players in this game because they don't know how to handle a beautiful, intelligent _and _assertive woman. I'm very happy with the way I played the game. I did what I intended to do – I dominated. If it wasn't for that fatass, I can see myself snatching the million dollars in the end. But whatever, I'm a successful career woman with a fabulous future ahead of me. Just watch, I can probably make a million dollars in lessthan thirty nine days.

It seems like whenever anyone speaks, it's called an _opinion _and everybody listens to it. But whenever I try to speak up, I immediately get called a bitch and Takuya starts barking insults at me like a vulgar dog. Whatever, I'm so over these insufferable pricks! I have been myself throughout the entire game. This is who I am. Take it or leave it.

- - -

_**Next Time on Survivor –**_

**The tribe is worried about one player's behaviour…**  
_TK: _He didn't sleep at all last night.  
(TK and JP are whispering to each other inside the shelter.)  
_JP: _He spent the whole night working on that?

**The players bond over an emotional session…**  
_Rika: _It's unfortunate that tragedy brings people closer together.  
(Rika is giving a camera confessional. She speaks in a dispassionate voice.)  
_Casey: _I'm really happy for you.  
(She smiles and puts her hand on somebody's shoulder.)

**And it all leads up to the most dramatic tribal council yet…**  
(May buries her face with her hands. She mumbles, 'Oh my god'.)  
_Professor Birch: _We have a tie.

_**All this and more on – Episode 9: Friends Fall Apart**_

- - -

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the wait. Thanks to those who read and review. Your comments are always welcomed. They motivate me to write faster! ;) I hope you enjoyed Episode 8 and remember to take the survey in my website after you're finished! Thank you. 


	9. Episode 9: Friends Fall Apart

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**  
**By: Gomamon**

_**Last Time on Survivor:**_

_Takuya explains to May his reasoning for voting Takato out at the last tribal council. May understands, but privately confesses that she is now playing this game for herself. When JP chooses to take Takuya to go with him for the reward, Drew and Cassidy feel threatened over the close bond between the two Frontiers. They decide that they will eliminate Takuya from the game before he becomes an unconquerable powerhouse in the tribe._

_Meanwhile, Cassidy offends her tribe members by accusing that there is a food thief amongst them. TK secretly proposes to JP that they should flip-flop between Cassidy's alliance and Takuya's alliance in order to proceed further into the game. JP, fed up with Cassidy's theatrics, agrees and votes against his former ally in a six to three vote. After Cassidy's dramatic farewell speech, only eight remain. Who will be voted off next?_

**Episode Nine: Friends Fall Apart**

**Clamperl: **_CASEY – DREW – JAMES – JP – MAY – RIKA – TAKUYA – TK_

- - -

**DAY 25**

This morning, there was a tiny commotion when May accidentally scorched her finger over the fire. Although her injury was not serious, some of the players were alarmed – JP even overreacted to the whole event, demanding the medics to be sent in immediately. Fortunately, all she needed was a bandaged from the first-aid kit around camp. The tribe was relieved that there were no traumatic consequences from this close encounter. However, this incident also gave the Clamperl tribe something to talk about during today's breakfast.

"Does it still hurt?" James asked, sounding genuinely concerned in his tone of voice.

"Just a little." May winced. She flashed a quick glance at her bandaged thumb. "I'll get over it."

_**May: **I burned my thumb this morning. I was boiling the water and I guess I drifted off into a daydream. Anyway, it wasn't a big deal or anything, but it was a reminder to all of us that we're just humans and we're not invincible on this island. Yeah, we really need to be careful out here at all times, because something terrible might happen if we let our guards down…_

"I'm sure your finger will recover in no time!" Casey said cheerfully.

"No worries, no worries! We all know May is tough as nails!" JP added with a cheeky grin.

"Tough as nails? Is that a euphemism for careless and clumsy?" Drew teased.

Several players chuckled. May shot the green-haired Pokemon Coordinator a mock glare.

"Okay, okay! I've learned my lesson! From now on, I'll be a lot more careful when I'm boiling the water." May giggled. She glanced down at her thumb again. "Hey guys, do you think it will leave a scar?"

"I sure hope not! It's not _that _serious, is it?" James gasped, clasping his hands over his mouth in shock. He looked reasonably upset since he had volunteered to boil the water for the rest of the day.

"But…but scars are cool!" JP exclaimed in a loud voice. "Think of them as nice souvenirs that you can take from this island and show off to your friends! It's something to remind you of your awesome experience on Survivor!"

"Kind of like a memory of your time spent here…" Casey said. She turned to JP and grinned. "I like that!"

"In that case, TK sure a hell lot of memories emblazoned all over his body." Drew said dryly. He flashed a small sympathetic smile at the blonde's direction. TK laughed and waved his hand in dismissal.

"Aww…" JP said, placing a comforting hand on TK's shoulder. "Come to think of it, you do look pretty beat up! What have you been doing on this island?"

"It's true." James nodded his head, eyeing over the numerous cuts on the blonde's body. "There are scratches on your arms and bruises on your legs…"

"I think TK has got the worst cuts out of all of us." May frowned, looking slightly disturbed.

_**TK: **As much as I enjoy this island, I feel like I'm in a constant battle with Mother Nature. Coming into this game, I thought I was seriously prepared to tackle all the elements. I was young, I was athletic, and I thought I could just come out here and be like Tarzan of the jungle. And uh…I couldn't be more wrong!_

The handsome blonde smacked his forehand with his hand. He laughed dryly to the cameras.

_**TK: **This has been a very humbling experience for me. It just goes to show that we can't be reckless and oppose against nature. We have to learn how to live with this island in harmony and synthesis. Embrace the experience!_

"I'm accident-prone." TK joked. He put his hand firmly on his lap. "I hate to see how my leg looks like when the bandages come off."

"There might be scars…" Drew muttered.

"And they will be permanent." Rika added.

"Oh gee, that must be a reassuring thing to hear in the morning." JP said, using a tone that was packed with thick sarcasm. He shook his head in disapproval. "C'mon guys! Optimism is the best medicine!"

"He's right!" Casey chimed in. An energetic grin spread across her face. "Besides, I think those scars make you look very tough and manly, TK!"

"That goes without saying. TK is _so _brave!" May smiled admirably at the blonde.

"He can endure anything the island throws at him!" Casey added.

At this moment, Takuya made a loud and comedic cat whistle. TK blushed profoundly, dropping his head in immense embarrassment from the hefty praise.

"Well, well. Isn't TK the ladies man?" Drew smirked.

"He's a stud!" James giggled.

"The Golden Boy looks great even if he's standing on a pile of crap." JP laughed. "He has a gazillion cuts all over his body and the girls still think he's the most handsome man on this island." He shook his fist playfully at the blonde. "You're so damn perfect!"

Since Cassidy's departure twelve hours ago, James noticed a drastic change in the mood around camp. Clearly, her absence left a substantial effect on the tribe morale. Gone were the petty conflicts, the depressing hostility and the unnecessary drama. This morning, everybody in the Clamperl tribe woke up with an enthusiastic smile on their faces. Even Rika, who normally looked so stern and sullen, was in high spirits today. It was almost as if a negative vibe vanished along with the argumentative Team Rocket member at the previous tribal council.

For James, last night carried a massive significance to his experience thus far. Like most of Clamperl, he was of course pleased to see Cassidy's torch snuffed. Not only did this meant that he and his allies had another three days on the island, he also found the new calm and peaceful atmosphere a refreshing change. However, those were not the _only _reasons why James felt content. After Cassidy's exit last night, James realized one very important fact: he was the last Team Rocket member standing.

_**James: **My Survivor journey has officially reached its peak! I outlasted both Botch and Cassidy – not only that, I also had a part in voting them out! I'm the sole representative of Team Rocket now! Jessie and Meowth would be soooo proud!_

He chuckled giddily.

_**James: **I haven't blasted off yet and I'm guaranteed a spot in the jury, so I already exceeded all of my expectations in this game. I'm so proud of myself for making it this far. And if I went on to win this game, it…oh my god, it would be the best day of my life!_

James rubbed his hands together in anticipation.

_**James: **To be honest, I don't really know how I'm going to get to the end. I mean, I have thought about it, but I haven't made concrete plans with anyone. This game is just too unpredictable for stuff like that. I want to keep all of my options open. For now, I suppose I should just continue to go with the flow. After all, why mess with a winning strategy?_

- - -

As the tribe of eight hiked towards the beach for their reward challenge, several players speculated the nature of their next competition. JP guessed that there would be a gross food eating challenge, although Takuya was quick to remind him that there was already a similar challenge in the past and the bugs that he had to eat were _nasty_. Their discussions quickly vanished when they arrived and saw four Mudkips sitting obediently by Professor Birch's feet. Each Mudkip was wearing a different coloured collar around their necks.

"They're so cute!" May gushed girlishly when she first saw the tiny mud fish Pokemon She paused and then giggled nervously. "Oh my god, I hope we don't have to eat those…"

"Welcome to your reward challenge, players." Professor Birch said, greeting the Clamperl tribe with a friendly smile. "Today, we've upped the stakes a little. You won't be playing for just one reward…you'll be playing for _four_ different rewards."

"Everybody wins!" JP laughed. Some other players also seemed satisfied with the new format of the challenge.

"Only half of us will win something from this challenge." Rika corrected.

"When I give the signal, these Mukips will each run away in a different direction. You can distinguish between them by the different coloured collars around their necks. The red Mudkip will run into the forest to the east. The yellow Mudkip will run down the beach to the south. The green Mudkip will run up the mountain to the west. And the blue Mudkip will swim through the ocean to the north." Professor Birch explained, pointing his finger at each of the four different locations. "Your task is to search chase after these Mudkips, catch them by hand, and bring them back to me."

A few players nodded their heads in comprehension.

"Mudkips are gentle Pokemon and they're trained not to attack back. With that said, don't do anything stupid and provoke them, okay?" Professor Birch grinned. "Anyway, want to know what you're playing for?"

"Yeah!" Casey exclaimed energetically.

"There are some _really _good prizes, so listen up. If you're feeling hungry, catch the red Mudkip and you'll win a very satisfying meal, composed of chicken and barbeque sauce." Professor Birch said. JP laughed and silently pumped his fist into the air. "Or if you're feeling homesick, then catch the yellow Mudkip and you'll win a _letter_ from home!"

This prize sparked some excited murmurs amongst the group. Several players definitely expressed a strong interest in winning this letter.

"If you catch the green Mudkip, you'll win a luxury item that will make your time out here a lot more comfortable." Professor Birch continued listing off the four prizes one by one. "And finally, if you catch the blue Mudkip, you'll win a special item that will assist you greatly in the upcoming immunity challenge."

_It's mine. _Drew thought, eyeing the blue collared Mudkip with determination. But judging from the eager expressions on the other players' faces, he realized that he would not be alone in the competition.

"It's all about priorities. What is important to you in this game? Food, family, comfort or immunity? Since there are four different rewards, you'll choose which ones you want to pursue after." Professor Birch kneeled down and motioned the four different Mudkips to move. They nodded their heads lightly and ran away in different directions. "In about a minute, you'll chase after one of these Mudkips and try to capture them. The first person to bring back the Mudkip will win the specified reward!"

The minute quickly passed by and the players scurried to their positions. Several players had stripped off their clothes and changed into their swimsuits, knowing that they would be pursuing after the blue collared Mudkip, who was swimming rapidly in the ocean.

"Survivors ready?" Professor Birch asked, raising his arm in the air. "Go!"

Several players dashed to the direction of the ocean and quickly dove into the water. Takuya was the first to begin swimming, followed closely by Drew, Rika, Casey and James. All five of these players were chasing after the Mudkip with the blue collar around its neck.

"Over half of you are going after the assistance for immunity. The prize incentive must be _very _appealing!" Professor Birch exclaimed.

Meanwhile, May and TK were running down the beach, hunting after the yellow collared Mudkip. May seemed to have a slight lead over the blonde, who was struggling as he dragged his injured leg through the sandy beach.

"May and TK are going after the family letter…" Professor Birch remarked. He paused and glanced at JP, who was standing still on the beach. "And JP…uh, why are you still here?"

"I might as well go after one of the rewards that no one wants. It gives me a better chance of winning _something_." JP grinned. He had purposely stayed behind to see in what directions the castaways dispersed. He started jogging leisurely towards the forest. "I'm going after the food reward! See ya, professor!"

At the sea, Takuya was struggling to maintain his lead over his competitors. Unfortunately, the athletic Frontier was not a particularly agile swimmer and the coveted Mudkip was still a far distance away. He could feel that several players were quickly closing the gap between them. In fact, he realized that Drew had caught up and was swimming at the same wavelength as him. The cocky Pokemon Coordinator smirked as he swam past Takuya with ease. There was now a new leader in the competition. Takuya cursed under his breath, putting in even more effort to catch up.

Meanwhile, May had widened her gap over TK in the forest. A few feet away from the handsome blonde, she smiled when she saw the yellow collared Mudkip hopping merrily in front of her. She was so close…so close…so close…

"Gotchya!" May grinned as she reached her arms out and successfully grabbed the Mudkip with her hands. A few seconds later, TK caught up and let out a small, frustrated sigh.

"Congratulations." TK smiled politely at the Pokemon Coordinator. He hesitated for a moment before turning away. "I guess I should go after another reward. It's uh…it's better than nothing, right?"

"Yeah, good luck!" May shouted. She smiled at the Mudkip that she was hugging closely to her chest and whispered into its floppy ears. "Come on, little buddy…let's go meet with Professor Birch and claim the reward!"

By the time May exited the forest, she saw JP celebrating happily in front of the professor. He too had successfully caught a Mudkip - the one with a red collar around its neck. She beamed at the chubby Frontier as she walked over to the Professor, handing him the Mudkip in her hands.

"Congratulations May, you're the second winner of this reward challenge." Professor Birch said.

"What did you win?" May asked, turning towards JP.

"BBQ chicken, baby!" JP exclaimed. Then, in a softer and quieter voice, he added, "Don't worry…I'm going to share some of it with you and TK."

"You don't have to…" May began, but she was interrupted by JP.

"I insist. Let me make it up for not bringing you guys to the last reward challenge." JP said. May could do nothing more but smile and thank the Frontier for his friendliness.

"Some of the players are returning from the ocean." Professor Birch said. "I think one of them might have caught the Mudkip."

"If they hurry, they might still have time to go after the remaining reward." May said. She glanced at the direction of the mountain, where the green-collared Mudkip had taken off. "There's still one more."

"Not unless TK beats them to it!" JP added with a small grin.

Casey was the first to return from the ocean, smiling sadly as she showed up empty-handed. Without any hesitation, she ran towards the mountain and chase after the green-collared Mudkip, hoping that she was not too late.

James and Rika both returned, also with nothing in their hands. Rika followed after Casey on the mountains, while James plopped himself on the ground beside JP and May.

"Forget it. I'm pooped!" James sighed.

Takuya and Drew were the last two people to arrive. While Takuya had a glum expression on his face, Drew was smiling very brightly and very confidently. He walked over to Professor Birch and handed him the blue-collared Mudkip.

"Congratulations Drew. You're the third winner of this reward challenge." Professor Birch said.

Drew nodded his head in response. Although he didn't say anything, it was clear from his dignified posture that he knew he was going to win this challenge. Takuya silently scowled, looking as if his ego was slightly bruised after the defeat. This of course made Drew feel even more elated over his win.

A few minutes later, Rika and Casey both returned, carrying nothing in their arms. TK was walking behind them, smiling faintly as he held up the last Mudkip in his arms. JP and May cheered loudly as the blonde returned.

"TK is the fourth and final winner in the reward challenge." Professor Birch declared. He turned towards the rest of the player. "Congratulations to the winners: JP, May, Drew and TK. You'll find your rewards waiting for you back at camp."

"Oh yeah! I'm on a row!" JP grinned happily. He exchanged an enthusiastic high-five with TK.

"Good effort to everyone. I have nothing else for you guys. You're free to go." Professor Birch said.

"Hey, I'll share some of my food with you and May when we get back." JP whispered to TK as they hiked back to camp. "It's going to be just the three of us, feasting on _my _barbeque chicken."

Although JP tried to be discreet with his whispering, it might be unfortunate that some players overheard his loud and energetic voice. After hearing what JP had said, James and Rika exchanged knowing glances behind the chubby Frontier's back. While James looked snubbed that he was excluded from the reward, Rika was more bothered by a disconcerting thought in her head. It was true that actions spoke louder than words. Just from this tiny gesture, she could already tell that JP was isolating the two of them out of his large circle of friends. To the bulky Frontier, they must have been nothing more but two worthless outsiders who he couldn't wait to vote out at tribal council.

Suddenly, images of Cassidy and Mimi flashed briefly in front of Rika's eyes, causing the icy Tamer to frown in disapproval. This felt like déjà vu. A _clique_ was forming in the fractured Clamperl tribe, something that she was unfortunately too familiar with after eighteen horrible days on Gorebyss.

Rika slowly formed a fist in her hand. She did not like cliques – not one bit.

- - -

When the Clamperl tribe returned to camp from the challenge, the four different rewards had already arrived and neatly placed inside the shelter. An excited JP cheered when he saw a plate of steamy chicken wings, wrapped in a rich coat of honey and barbeque sauce. He dipped his finger in the sauce and licked it. After one taste, he shrieked in joy.

"Dude, this stuff is fantastic!" JP grinned. A few people smiled in response, but they also threw him a few odd looks.

The other players also went and retrieved their rewards inside the shelter. Drew was pleased to find a small Rubik's Cube for his reward, leading some tribe members to speculate that the immunity challenge would be a puzzle ("Oh shoot!" James mused jokingly). TK was equally content with his luxury item, which was a soft and cuddly Patamon plush doll. A few players teased him about his reward, but the blonde didn't seem to mind. Meanwhile, May picked up a sealed envelope and immediately disappeared into the forest for privacy.

Finding a comfortable spot under an apple tree, May sat down on the grass and tore open the envelope. She pulled out two pieces of papers. A giddy smile spread across her face as she began reading the first letter.

"Dear May, how are you doing? I want to let you know that your father and I are having a splendid time in the Petalburg gym. We miss you dearly with each day of your absence." May muttered. The smile on her face widened as she continued reading. "At first, I was worried that you will fare poorly in this harsh environment, but your father reassured me that we raised a strong and capable daughter who can endure any condition."

May paused and used her fist to wipe her eye. She took a deep sigh, looking very emotional, and then resumed her reading.

"Do not push yourself too hard in the game, May. Just remember, we'll all be proud of you no matter what happens out there." May said in a trembling voice. "But it is probably futile of me to say that. I know my own daughter too well. You're a fighter, just like your father. Although at times, both of you are too stubborn to know when to give up."

May laughed. After a while, she stopped reading out loud to the cameras as the letter got more personal. With an occasional laugh every now and then, May remained quiet as she read through the rest of her letter.

_**May: **It's a good thing that the majority of us travelled before, so none of us are feeling that homesick yet. But you know…I miss my family a lot. I think about Dad, Mom and Max everyday I'm out here. I can't help it! I'm worried if anything bad happened to them, which is kind of ironic since I'm the one who's risking my life by living on this dangerous island!_

May brushed a lock of hair behind her ear. She let out a small, girlish giggle.

_**May: **I'm really glad I won the family letter. I mean…I've been so detached from the actual world that…uh, that any news is good news! I just want to know that my family is doing okay and nothing happened to them – gosh, I don't know how to describe this, but it's a wonderful feeling. I guess it's because they aren't here with me. And you don't how much you value something until it's taken away from you._

"I got a letter from Max too." May said, giggling. She flipped to the second page of her letter. "I wonder how that little squirt is coping without me."

As May began reading her second letter, she didn't even notice that several players were approaching in the forest. It wasn't until Casey spoke up before May finally noticed their presence.

"Hey, May!" Casey called out energetically. She looked down and realized that May was reading her letter. "Oh, I hope we aren't disturbing you or anything…"

"No, no…not at all! Come sit down and join me!" May said, smiling sweetly at Casey and the two companions standing behind her.

Casey and Drew grinned at each other, both taking a seat beside May. Rika stood still for a moment, looking hesitant to join in. Finally, she sat down across from May, although she was a bit distanced from the rest of the group. Coincidentally, they were sitting around in a small circle on the ground.

"What are you guys doing in the forest?" May asked.

"We're going around the forest and collecting anything that looks edible." Casey replied. She grinned boyishly. "We're running low on apples."

"What are _you _doing?" Drew raised an eyebrow.

"I…I'm just reading a letter from home." May said, smiling uncertainly at the petite Pokemon Coordinator. She held up the piece of paper in her hands. "This one is from my brother."

"Oh yeah, I forgot you won that reward!" Casey flashed a warm and affectionate smile at May. She placed a comforting hand on the Coordinator's shoulder. "I'm really happy for you!"

"It must be nice to hear from your family." Drew added quietly.

"Knowing my dad, he's probably sitting at home, a beer in one hand and a remote control in the other." Casey laughed. "I kind of wished I won a family letter. I really wanted to go for my letter from home too, but…"

"But immunity is more important?" Drew offered. Casey nodded her head.

"Yeah, I'm in a bad situation and…uh, my family would understand." Casey nudged Drew in the shoulder. "Hey, you shouldn't be talking! You won that immunity thingamajig at the challenge!"

"I didn't know you were a good swimmer. You were fast in the water." Rika said, casting an amused glance at Drew's direction.

"Yeah, I know. I'm glad you noticed how I kicked your butts today, huh!" Drew grinned in satisfaction. "Especially Takuya…he looked pissed that he lost to a puny guy like me."

"Your modesty astounds me." Rika said dryly, while Casey and May snickered. Drew's grin faded away, now replaced by a slightly sheepish expression on his face.

_**Drew:** For someone who doesn't socialize all that much, Rika is an extremely perceptive person. Most of her observations about this game are dead on. It's a shame that she's so outspoken, or I think she could be a serious contender in this game. But I admire the fact that she's not afraid to speak her mind. At least I know where I stand with Rika. And I know she hates my guts._

Drew snickered. He flipped his green hair over his shoulders.

_**Drew: **Yeah, I'm big enough of a man to admit that I find Rika intimidating. Just a little._

"This challenge showed us what some people's priorities in this game are." Rika said. "A lot of us went for the immunity prize because we don't feel safe with our positions."

"Note how JP immediately chose to go after the food reward." Drew smirked.

"Yeah, I can understand how some people would pursue the letters from home." Casey said, frowning. "But I think less of JP as a person after he did that. I mean, come on!"

"Have you considered winning the letters, Rika?" May asked.

"No." Rika replied. She delivered her answer in such a sharp and blunt manner that it surprised some of them. May and Casey exchanged uncomfortable glances with each other.

"You're not going to tell us anything?" Drew asked, frowning slightly.

"My family and I are not on the best of terms." Rika replied. She looked away, feeling a bit ill at ease as she thought about her family. "My mother is a superficial model. We have nothing in common."

"What about your dad?" Casey asked.

"I don't have a father." Rika answered coldly. Casey winced at the response.

"How tragic. I don't have one either." Drew said in a quiet voice. "Or I had one until I turned eight years old."

"What happened?" May asked, sounding concerned.

"My mom died." Drew gazed at the ground, smiling bitterly. "Since then, my dad has been divulging himself into his work…and different women that he brings home every night."

"Oh." Rika grunted. She glanced over at Drew and their eyes met for a brief second. They both looked away.

"I…I'm sorry. I didn't realize that…" May slowly unfolded her letters and put them into the envelope. "I didn't realize that I was being insensitive to your feelings. I shouldn't have flaunted these in front of your faces."

"Don't apologize." Rika said. She now had an emotionless expression on her face. "It's not your fault that families are fragile and easily shattered."

She got up from her seat. Casey looked up at her, with her mouth opened but no encouraging words were able to come out. Without a proper farewell, the icy Tamer began walking away, disappearing behind the forest of trees. The remaining trio sat on the ground in an uneasy silence as they reflected on her words.

_**Rika: **It's unfortunate that tragedy brings people closer together. It's not always easy to share the darkness in our hearts._

"I'm kind of glad we had this conversation." Drew finally spoke up. He looked at May and Casey's faces for reassurance. "I think it's necessary for us to be more open with each other."

"Yeah, I didn't realize how lucky I was until…" May mumbled, but her words trailed off into nothingness.

She gazed down at the envelope that she was holding in her hands. Suddenly, the significance in these comforting letters from home meant so much more to May.

- - -

As midnight approached in the Clamperl tribe, almost everybody was fast asleep. The only two people awake were Drew and James, who were watching and tending the campfire as part of their duties. They were exchanging a quiet and private conversation, which inevitably turned into the subject of strategy.

"I was in the minority at the last vote. I'm one of the few idiots who voted with Cassidy." Drew admitted, hiding a thin smile on his face.

"I thought you knew. I thought that you, TK and JP were as tight as brothers." James said, flashing an apologetic smile at the Pokemon Coordinator. "I wasn't even sure if we had the numbers at tribal council. JP wouldn't commit to an actual answer or anything. To be honest, I assumed that it would be Takuya's night to go."

"It seems like every night is Takuya's night to go, yet he's still here." Drew laughed, slowly shaking his head. "He's the bane of my existence."

"Yeah…" James chuckled lightly. He let out a small yawn. "Takuya could be very difficult sometimes, but I like him."

"You do?" Drew asked, sounding a bit startled. "I thought you were acting for sure. And that you were only pretending to like him to win his vote."

"No, Takuya is a…he's a nice guy despite some of his actions. I like nice people." James smiled.

"Nice people, huh?" Drew asked, gazing gloomily into the campfire. He tossed a small rock into the weak flame. "How about one of you be nice and save my hide from getting voted out next…"

_**James: **I don't think there's any skirting around the fact that Drew and Casey are in serious trouble right now. Everybody knows this. They doomed themselves when they voted with Cassidy last night. Now, the upcoming tribal council is going to be a showdown between the two of them. Or at least that's what it looks like for now. The tribe dynamics could easily change in the next three days._

He shrugged his shoulders and let out a small, frustrated sigh.

_**James: **It's a shame because I actually get along with both of them. But what can I do? I'm just one person…_

"I'm pretty sure that Casey will go before you." James whispered quietly. A small smile appeared on Drew's face at this announcement. "Takuya can't stand Casey after their little fallout with the pizza and pop. He wants her gone."

"Better her than me. I'm thrilled." Drew grinned.

"Yeah, I guess so." James sighed. He stretched his arms in the air and emitted a loud yawn. "Ahh…I'm sooooo tired!"

"You can go back to the shelter and sleep. I can guard the fire by myself." Drew offered.

"Really?" James smiled, stifling another fatigued yawn. "But I don't want to abandon you…"

"I don't mind." Drew said, waving his hand in dismissal. "Go sleep and good night."

"Thanks! You're the best!" James squealed softly. He got up from his seat on the log and stumbled his way into the shelter. Drew watched him for a few seconds before turning his attention back to the fire.

"The fire looks so lonely tonight…" Drew muttered to himself.

Drew took out the Rubik's Cube from his pocket. He had won this at the reward challenge earlier in the day. This was apparently something that he could practice with as preparation for the upcoming immunity challenge. Looking at the multi-coloured cube, Drew found it a little difficult to believe that this would assist him in the next immunity challenge – unless the immunity challenge was simply a Rubik's Cube puzzle. _But no, that's too straightforward._ Drew thought. _There must be a twist._

He began an attempt to solve the Rubik's Cube puzzle, twisting the tiny cube in various and random directions. A few minutes later, he came to the realization that he had made no progress with the puzzle. He chucked the Rubik's Cube away, mumbling something about 'the devil's toy' under his breath. It landed a few feet away from the fire.

Sighing, Drew went and picked up the cube from the ground. And then, he began working on the puzzle again.

_**Drew: **It's time to come clean. Yeah, I've thrown challenges in the past. Why not? I held back in a couple of competitions because I didn't want to be seen as a threat. Sometimes, it's more convenient to be on the losing side. But now, I'm in no position of power and I can't afford to lose immunity tomorrow. If I want to stay in this game, I'm going have to be even more competitive than before._

Drew grinned smugly at the cameras.

_**Drew: **Don't count me out of the game just yet._

It took Drew nearly two hours before he finally solved the Rubik's Cube puzzle. He turned the cube around for one final check, making sure that all six sides had the same unified colour. The Pokemon Coordinator held his cube up in the air and stared at it in admiration. He did it! What an accomplishment! He finally finished the stupid puzzle!

Nodding his head several times, Drew began fiddling with the Rubik's Cube in his hands. In a few minutes, he undid everything that he had solved before.

"Practice makes perfect." Drew muttered.

He had the entire night to familiarize with the mechanics and design of the Rubik's Cube. It was complicated, but not impossible. By tomorrow, Drew was confident that he could master the techniques of this puzzle and ace the upcoming immunity challenge. His tribe members wouldn't stand a chance against him.

Drew flashed a defiant smile at the cameras.

_Game on._

- - -

**DAY 26**

A few days ago, TK found himself a new companion who would join him in his daily jogs around the island. That person was none other than JP Shibayama, who decided that he needed the extra exercise and the fresh air in the morning. Of course, his _real _reason was to keep TK company and make sure the blonde doesn't encounter any more unlucky accidents on the island. Unfortunately, the chubby Frontier was not exactly a _driven _person. And after several days of waking up before sunrise, JP was beginning to regret the promise that he had made.

"Ugh, why do we have to wake up so early…every…single…day?" JP mumbled grouchily.

"Hey, you promised me that you'll get treemail with me this morning!" TK said, chuckling. "You aren't going back on your word, right?"

JP sighed and shook his head. He was in no condition to argue with the diplomatic TK right now. Reluctantly, the Frontier climbed outside of the shelter, squinting at the beams of bright sunlight poured from the sky. TK followed behind him, wearing a cheerful expression on his face.

"Look, Drew is awake already." TK said.

"Huh? This early?" JP gasped, arching his eyebrows in astonishment. He followed TK's gaze and eventually saw the green-haired Pokemon Coordinator sitting in front of the fire, fumbling with his Rubik's Cube.

Hearing JP's loud voice, Drew turned around and smiled thinly at the two men standing by the shelter. TK waved and returned the smile, although JP only had enough energy to muster a bemused expression on his face.

"Good morning, guys. Are you going to get treemail?" Drew asked.

"Yeah. We're checking if we're having the immunity challenge today," replied TK.

"Uh…we'll be back in a jiffy!" JP added. Drew nodded his head in satisfaction and returned his attention back on the Rubik's Cube again.

JP and TK began walking away, with the chubby Frontier occasionally turning around and glancing at the Coordinator's back. JP, in particular, seemed extremely concerned for him.

"He didn't sleep at all last night." TK whispered. "I can tell from the bags under his eyes."

"He spent the whole night working on _that_?" JP asked, looking at the Rubik's Cube in Drew's hand with ridicule. "No way, dude!"

_**TK: **One of the reasons why we didn't include Drew in our plans is…well, he's always been a bit of an enigma. JP and I didn't know how he would respond if we told him that we're voting out Cassidy just minutes before tribal council. We didn't want to take the risk of having the tables turned against us. And Drew is capable of doing something like that. It has happened before._

TK flashed a small, apologetic smile at the cameras.

_**TK: **It's not that I don't like Drew, but I don't think I could trust him in this game. He has deceived and backstabbed a lot of people. And to be honest, I don't know if Drew has loyalties to anyone but himself…_

"Alright, we've an immunity challenge today!" TK grinned as he carefully removed the scroll of parchment from Wingull's peak.

"Wait, let's take this time to go over our plan." JP said. "We should take out Casey this turn. Then, we'll team up with May and Drew to eliminate the Gorebyss members one by one."

"Are you sure that we could trust Drew…or even May?" TK asked. He wore a pensive expression on his face. "For all we know, they could still be angry at us for betraying them."

"Hey, that's a chance we have to take. Besides, May isn't that type of person. Nor is Drew, for that matter." JP said hesitantly.

"I'm not confident about this." TK bit his lips. He cast an uncertain glance at the parchment that he was holding. "May be it's a better idea for us to side with Casey and…"

"No." JP interrupted. "No way, dude. Casey has spent the last twenty six days living in the same tribe as Rika and Takuya. No matter how you look at the situation, she has more history and loyalty with them than she has with us. I bet she's gonna run back and join Gorebyss again if we let her reach the Final Seven." He paused and nodded his head. "She hides her conniving side behind that big, jolly smile. I don't trust her at all."

"That's true." TK nodded his head.

"Let's stay loyal with Gorebyss for one round and _then _we'llpull the switcheraoo on them at the Final Seven," said JP.

TK nodded his head again in consent. The two friends turned around and began walking back in the direction of their camp.

"What about Drew?" TK asked. "Should we tell him that he's not on the chopping block?"

"Yeah, we should. Oh man, the poor guy thinks he's going home next!" JP bellowed in laughter as if it was the funniest thing in the world. "But seriously, I'm surprised he's taking the news so well. I mean…he was pretty good friends with Cassidy too!"

"You can tell that he's determined to stay in the game. He didn't sleep for the whole night in order to practice for the immunity challenge," said TK.

"Now, that's the Survivor spirit!" JP added with a cheeky grin. "Good for Drew. He's a class act, huh?"

TK flashed a polite smile at the chubby Frontier, but the blonde didn't reply back.

_**JP: **I feel kind of bad that I didn't inform Drew about the vote earlier, but uh…that's in the past. I hope he's not pissed at me or anything, or is that too much to ask from him? Well, I did convince Takuya to go after Casey at the next tribal council rather than Drew, because I felt that I've let Drew down and I wanted this opportunity to make it up to him. _

The chubby Frontier rubbed his chin with his fingers.

_**JP: **But let's not forget that this is a game. I meant what I've said before, but I also need to be friendly terms with Drew if I want to win his jury vote. Dude, after what happened with Cassidy, I think I need all the votes I could get._

When TK and JP returned, Drew was still sitting by the campfire and working on his Rubik's cube. JP turned around and TK gave him a nod of approval. They both walked together and sat down across from him. The Pokemon Coordinator looked up, arching his eyebrow with interest.

"Hi, Drew. Uh…what's up?" JP grinned, although he seemed a bit uncomfortable at starting this conversation.

"Did you get treemail?" Drew asked.

"Yeah. No surprises or anything…it's probably a puzzle challenge, like we expected." TK replied.

"Hey, we wanted to talk with you about something." JP said as he gained more confidence in his voice. "About last night…the reason why we didn't tell you what happened is because we didn't make up our minds until the last minute at tribal council. We couldn't contact you about our decision by then."

Drew nodded his head. He heard this excuse before. Actually, this was a similar explanation that he had told JP and TK after the first tribal council, back when Drew and James teamed up and voted Butch out of the island. _They're feeding me the same bullshit that I told them ages ago. _The Pokemon Coordinator smiled thinly to himself, resisting the urge to laugh at the irony. _This is karma._

"Hmm…is that so?" Drew responded neutrally.

"Yeah, that's pretty much it. You aren't angry at me, right?" JP asked.

"I understand how the game is played." Drew said, flashing a small smile at the Frontier.

"That's good. I'm glad you can see things from my perspective!" JP sighed in relief. "Anyway, I hope that the alliance between the two of us is still intact. The game isn't over yet."

Drew nodded his head silently without a response. JP didn't know how to interpret the enigmatic reaction, so he decided to continue talking.

"Casey is next, for sure. But you're not going after her." JP whispered. "I mean, there's James, who has that immunity necklace. And then there's Rika…and I don't click with her at all. I just don't get her." He motioned a quick cutting gesture across his neck. "They're gone."

"That's a reassuring thing to hear." Drew said, smiling.

"So…are we still cool, dude?" JP asked. He held out a fist in front of Drew's face. Drew returned the gesture and the two men's hands met together. "Alright! All is cool on Dewford Islands!"

_**Drew: **I've had enough of his bullshit and his flip-flopping. He leaves me out of an important vote and now, he's offering to take me under his wing again, as if I'm supposed to be eternally grateful towards him for his acts of kindness. Let's not forget that he's the one who put me in this position in the first place!_

Different from his usual calm and cool demeanour, Drew seemed to be gritting his words angrily through his teeth. It took him a few seconds to calm down again. He sighed and flipped his green hair over his shoulder.

_**Drew: **He picked the wrong person to mess around with. If I must, I'll make it my last mission to ensure that his stupid plan backfires and the fat lazy pig gets voted off. I mean what I'm saying. JP Shibayama, be prepared to go through all the stages of hell._

- - -

Although Casey and Takato met each other for only two days (before the latter was abruptly voted off at the seventh tribal council), they realized that they shared a lot of similarities in their backgrounds and experiences. The game of Survivor made both of them felt as if they were a couple of small fish tossed in a sea of shark-infested waters. This was particularly true for Casey, who never enjoyed the luxury of a strong and fatherly mentor like Brock was to Takato. Everything Casey did in this game, she had to achieve by herself. Whether it was physical or mental, she was prepared to fend herself of any obstacles in her way.

Casey adjusted to the living conditions so well that sometimes, a few players forgot she was merely a naïve little girl who came from a small and simplistic life in the Pokemon world. On her tenth birthday, she embarked on an exciting journey as a Pokemon trainer, which began due to her parents encouraging their daughter to tackle new experiences and broaden her perspective in life. Years later, she took her parents' message to heart and prepared herself for another adventure in the form of Survivor, although it might be more than she bargained for.

These twenty six days had accumulated to a long and difficult journey for the petite baseball lover. Her experiences in the Gorebyss tribe felt more like distant and dreadful memories in the past. She endured through the many days of hunger and the many nights of shivering in the cold. She remained positive through the humiliating defeats in challenges by Huntail over and over again. She fought through her tears as she watched her closest friends leave her at tribal council, one by one. But no matter what happened, Casey did not give up. It was a testimony to her character when players now remembered her for the trademark enthusiastic smile that she constantly wore on her face.

Despite having the worst odds piled up against her, Casey continued to survive.

But now, Casey's journey was about to hit a dead end, or so it seemed. The remaining players wanted her gone, as if she was an annoying thorn in their strategic plans. She was cornered and she could not escape. Not this time. Her days were numbered.

_**Casey: **I'm pretty sure that they're thinking of voting me out. Nobody has told me anything, but I could deduce it by myself. I know Takuya hates me and I'm certain he's actively campaigning against me like there's no tomorrow. Cassidy was my last friend in this game and now that she's voted off, I have nobody left. It's just me against the rest of them. _

Casey flashed a small smile at the cameras.

_**Casey: **I feel alone._

One person who always felt sympathetic towards Casey was James. The Team Rocket member was fond of his temporary friend in the Gorebyss tribe, finding her genuine character and her never-say-die attitude refreshing amongst the large egos and false personalities. He also understood her position right now – the feeling of being left out by the rest of the tribe. Unfortunately, James' appreciation for the baseball lover ended at a certain extent, considering that he didn't once voice in his opinion that Casey should stay in the game. He stood idly by, like always.

However, that does not mean James didn't _care _about Casey. In fact, he was so bottled up with remorse that he decided to make an unsurprising revelation to Casey, even if Takuya would frown on that idea. James felt that Casey at least deserved to know she was in danger, with the likely possibility that she was going home next. So, as he and Casey sat by the river to do the laundry, he told her everything.

"I'm really sorry, Casey. But it's you. Both JP and Takuya decided that you're their next target." James said quietly.

Casey seemed to take the news quite well. She smiled widely at James and gave the Team Rocket member an affectionate squeeze in the shoulder.

"Ah, I figured it would go something along those lines." Casey shrugged. "Thanks for being a good enough friend for telling me this, James."

James nodded his head, although her consolatory words fell empty to his ears. He picked up a dirty shirt and began dipping it in the rapid river waves.

"Everybody is acting so nice to me, even though they're going to vote me out! I wished they could be more honest." Casey continued, gazing vacantly at the river. "You're the only person I can _really _talk to, you know? I can confide in you with anything."

"Yeah…" James muttered.

"I know Drew is campaigning against me. And I don't blame him, but…" Casey said, sighing a little. "I thought we were in the same boat. I can't believe we're going against each other already. After Cassidy was voted off, it was either him or me…and I guess it's me."

James nodded his head again. He knew now was the time to act as a listening ear to Casey's venting.

"Oh well, no use in complaining. That's how life goes." Casey said, smiling enthusiastically at James. "I want to enjoy the rest of my Survivor experience."

"If I learned anything from Rika, I've a new motto for you…" James chuckled. "Don't let the bastards get you down!"

Casey snorted in laughter.

_**James: **When I signed up for this game, I knew the objective was to make sure I vote everyone out and I'm the last person standing. But…but if that's the case, why do I feel so sad knowing that Casey is the next one to go? _

The slim blue-haired man sulked in front of the cameras.

_**James: **I should be happy that I'm not being targeted, right? But I can't feel the joy…_

"Don't get me wrong, I'm not giving up." Casey said, grinning toothily. "If I gave you that impression, I want to correct myself. I just want to relax and enjoy my time out here, but I will never give up."

"Yep, I didn't doubt you for a second." James chuckled. He paused for a moment and then asked, "What's your game plan now?"

"I'm gonna be the best tribe member ever! I'll cook, I'll wash, I'll hunt…everything and everything!" Casey replied, with her grin widening. "I'll work hard and hope the others notice my work ethics. I'll give them reasons to keep me around."

"Ah…" James sighed, smiling. "I'm rooting for you!"

"And I'm rooting for you too!" Casey said, flashing a thumbs-up to the Team Rocket member. "You're a real good guy, James. Not fake good, like JP, or goody-goody, like TK. You're just _good _good, you know?"

"Not really, but thanks!" James laughed.

"What I mean is…you're a good _friend_ and I thank you for that." Casey smiled.

"Can I ask you something, Casey?" James asked.

"Sure." Casey responded energetically.

"Why did you become friends with Cassidy? I'm not judging you or anything, but it's kind of…" James paused, searching for the appropriate word to fit into this conversation. "It's kind of bizarre that someone like you would team up with someone like her."

"There are a lot of different reasons…" Casey said, smiling. "It was really tough living in Gorebyss, especially for the first few days. Zoe and Takuya teamed up immediately and they blocked out everybody else. And then there's Rika, who was off in her own little world. And uh, I guess I appreciate Cassidy for stepping up to the plate and…and just be a leader. We would have fallen apart completely if it wasn't for her leadership."

Casey nodded her head, with her smile growing more confidently as she spoke.

"On the first day, I felt a bit inferior because I didn't think I could contribute anything to the tribe. But Cassidy watched out for me and took me under her wings. Say what you will about Cassidy, but I really respected her. She was like a big sister to me. Mimi too. When I'm with the two of them, it's a type of companionship and I don't feel lonely."

"But they're gone now." James muttered unconsciously.

"I know…" Casey said, sounding a bit hurt. She shook her head and smiled energetically. "Anyway, that's in the past! I live for today and look forward to tomorrow! Err…except we havetribal council tomorrow, which I don't really look forward to." James laughed and Casey stuck her tongue out at him. "You get my point!"

"Oh my god, I hope you don't go!" James sighed. "This tribe would be really different without you."

Little did James know that his wish was about to come true, because Casey definitely was not leaving – at least not for this upcoming tribal council. In the next few hours, everything will change.

Very soon, James would find himself as a potential target on the chopping block.

And it will be up to Casey to decide if she wants to save her friend or not.

- - -

Rika was not a fan of JP Shibayama. After living with him for over a week, she concluded that the boisterous Frontier was loud, cliquish and most of all, he was _lazy_. And laziness was a big no-no in Rika's eyes. JP did enough work to barely get away with it each day – he occasionally joined Drew on his fishing trips or sometimes, he accompanied Takuya in collecting firewood. But Rika was not impressed. She noticed that JP always went to work with other people, so that he could take some of the credit without actually doing anything (although JP would argue that he didn't want to feel lonely while he was working, Rika didn't believe him). Unfortunately, JP taking an afternoon nap in the shelter today did nothing but confirm her belief that he contributed nothing to the camp.

"He's sleeping again. Lazy bastard." Rika muttered as she walked past the shelter, where JP was snoring loudly inside. James, who was walking beside her, instantly made a hushing gesture with his finger.

"He could hear you, Riiiiika!" James squealed in a whispery voice. He cast a nervous glance at the shelter, then sighed in relief to see that JP had not stirred from his slumber.

"Let him hear me. I don't talk behind people's backs." Rika grunted.

"It would be nice if you're a little more diplomatic!" James sighed, putting his hands on his hips.

"When he starts working, I'll start being more diplomatic." Rika said, smirking. She picked up her wooden bow and a few arrows, and then she began walking towards the forest. James obediently followed after the Tamer.

_**Rika: **Slackers pisses me off. While everyone else is working until their asses fall off, JP actually has the nerve to take an afternoon nap in front of us. But he has an excuse for not working. He has an excuse for everything._

As James and Rika departed, another pair approached the shelter, although they were much on friendlier terms with the chubby Frontier. TK and May giggled with each other when they saw JP lying on his back, his mouth opening and closing in patterned intervals as he snored. TK poked the Frontier in his bloated stomach, causing him to wake up.

"Huh? What's going on…?" JP yawned.

"We're going to the immunity challenge soon, sleepyhead!" May giggled. "We thought you'd like to go into the challenge with a clear head!"

"Heh, yeah. Yeah!" JP laughed. He slowly got up from his back and grinned. "I'm awake and I'm ready to gooooo!"

May smiled and sat down beside JP in the shelter. She paused, then turned towards her left and picked up a small Patamon plush doll. She patted it gently with her hand.

"This thing looks _really _cute, TK." May laughed. She was now squeezing the plush doll with her hand. "When I see it, I want to give it a big hug!"

"You can give me a hug if you think I'm cute." JP grinned cheekily. May gave him a playful punch in the shoulder.

"I wouldn't say that Patamon is _cute_." TK chuckled, looking a little embarrassed. After receiving that Patamon plush doll yesterday, a few amused players couldn't help but poke fun at the blonde's reward. JP, in particular, found it hilarious that TK had a _doll _as his luxury item. Now, TK felt a need to defend his masculinity (and perhaps his ego) in front of May. "It's not really a doll. I see it more as a replica of a really good friend I have in the Digital World."

"Aww...that's adorable!" May beamed at him. "I wished I had a Skitty plushie."

"Yeah, but I feel a little bad that I used it as a pillow last night. Sorry, Patamon!" TK added, chuckling.

"Oh, you were using that thing as a pillow?" JP had a witty expression twinkling on his face. He teased, "I thought you were cuddling with it in the dark…because you know, you missed your little girlie doll oh so much."

TK laughed. He snatched the Patamon plush doll from May's hands and hurled it at JP's body. JP showed an amazing demonstration of agility as he caught the doll with his hands. JP stuck his tongue out at the blonde playfully and grinned.

"Well, I think having a Patamon doll makes TK seem even more kind and sensitive." May said, looking at TK's direction with a dreamy smile. "You're the type of guy that every girl wants to bring home to their parents."

"Thank you, May." TK smiled politely. He felt his cheeks growing very warm all of a sudden.

"And I'm the type of guy that parents warn their daughters to stay away from." JP joked. His fingers formed a big 'L' sign, which he put on his forehead. "Loser!"

"Hey, take that back!" May said, putting a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "Don't say that about yourself."

"Yeah, you're saying that to make me feel better, but…" JP had a clumsy smile on his face. "From what my years of wisdom could gather, most girls don't go for guy like me. I'm not good looking and I'm totally out of shape. I know where I fit into the social food chain." He paused and smacked his forehead. "Damn…why did I have to make a reference about food?"

_**TK: **JP is a great guy, but he lacks a little confidence in himself. He tries very hard to be funny in order to hide some of his insecurities. I think it's a defence mechanism. He wants people to laugh with him, not at him. But I don't think he should feel that way. No one should have such a low sense of self-worth._

"You know, I sometimes wonder if I have to act more like TK in order to be more popular with the girls." JP grinned. He punched TK playfully in the shoulder. "Isn't that right, Golden Boy?"

TK shook his head. The blonde had a serious expression on his face as he stared directly into JP's eyes.

"I think you should just be yourself." TK said.

"Dude, that's so…" JP began with a wide grin, but he was quickly interrupted by the blonde.

"I'm serious, JP. Don't change who you are, no matter what. Just be yourself. Girls – no, it's not just girls…_anyone _will appeal to your charming personality." TK said, smiling warmly at the Frontier.

"Yeah, yeah. Let's stop before you want to give a monologue about the importance of inner beauty, okay? I'll take what you said to heart." JP nodded his head, flashing a wide smile on his face. He pounded his chest a few times. "You're one hell of a guy, TK. But my God, you can be so _cheesy _sometimes!"

May giggled and TK dropped his head in mock shame.

"Why do I always end up being the butt of the joke?" TK mumbled sheepishly.

"It's easy making fun of you because you're so damn nice!" JP grinned.

_**TK: **JP is my rock in this game, or whatever the equivalent of a best friend is. I enjoy being around his flippant personality. He never fails to bring a smile to my face. He…he's just an amazing person! We're definitely going to remain friends outside of this game and that is something I'll treasure vastly in my heart._

The blonde grinned cheerfully.

_**TK: **We have been through the best and the worst of times together. No matter what happens out here, nothing could break our friendship apart._

- - -

Drew entered into the immunity challenge with only one train of thought: he was going to win. He practiced with the Rubik's Cube for the entire night, over and over again. And now, all of his hard work was going to translate into an easy victory. He had to win. Losing was not an option.

"Welcome to the immunity challenge. First things first, Rika…I need it back." Professor Birch said, gesturing his hand towards the icy Tamer.

She handed him the immunity necklace. He nodded and held up the necklace in the air.

"Immunity is back up for grabs!" Professor Birch announced. "For today's challenge, you're going to exercise your brain power. It's a simple Rubik's Cube puzzle…with a twist."

Behind Professor Birch were eight large Rubik's Cubes, resting on the sand. They were enormous in size and almost the equivalent of Casey's petite body.

"You'll be solving a Rubik's Cube puzzle. All you need to do is get one set of colours complete on any side – and you'll win the challenge. The first person to complete this will win immunity." Professor Birch explained. He paused and then smirked. "Of course, manoeuvring a Rubik's Cube _this _size isn't going to be easy. As you could see, they're large, clumsy and very heavy."

"This is going to be a physically and mentally exhausting challenge…" James muttered.

"Okay, pick a random Rubik's Cube and we'll get started." Professor Birch smiled. The players didn't look nearly as enthusiastic as they walked over to their stations.

Drew had a determined smile on his face. _This is going to be a breeze. _He was already eyeing the Rubik's Cube in front of him, pondering over the possible moves in his head. _I'll move that piece here and then…_

"Survivors ready? Go!" Professor Birch shouted.

After the signal, the players immediately began the puzzle. Drew already had half of the puzzle figured out in his head when he started moving the pieces around…until he encountered a frustrating problem in the challenge. He tried pushing the cube with both of his hands, but it would barely budge from its original position. No matter how much strength he applied in his hands, the puzzle wasn't moving at all!

"These…pieces…are…concrete." Drew grunted.

The other players weren't having much luck either. With the exception of James and JP, who seemed to be struggling as well – but they were at least making progress with their puzzles. This was more than what could be said about the other players, who couldn't even move a single piece in their Rubik's Cube. Even the normally athletic Takuya seemed frustrated that he wasn't strong enough to manoeuvre the pieces with his hands.

Meanwhile, the girls had adopted a different and much more effective strategy. Rika was pushing her entire body against the cube and the pieces were _finally _turning in the direction that she wanted. May and Casey saw what she was doing and copied the same strategy. Soon, all of the players caught on to the only strategy that worked. The challenge had now officially begun.

"Rika seems to be in a small lead over the rest of the players." Professor Birch announced. "She already has three squares of the same colours on one side. The trouble now is to get the _other _six squares in there as well…"

Drew cast a worried glance at Rika's direction. She looked calm and collected as she navigated through this challenge, pushing the right pieces with her body at the right times. Her agile performance in this challenge shouldn't be surprising to anyone. After all, she was not unfamiliar to mind puzzles and planning for strategy, considering that she was arguably one of the best Digimon card players in her world.

Some of the other players weren't doing as well. James and JP had a small advantage over the players due to their bulkier frames, but they didn't seem to know what they were doing with the puzzles at all. As James turned the pieces of the Rubik's Cube in random directions, he realized that he was going nowhere in this challenge – absolutely no progress.

"Rika is still in the lead! She now has five pieces of the same colours on one side." Professor Birch announced. He quickly glanced over the other players' progress as well. "Drew is close behind with four. Casey and May both have three. Takuya has two. James and JP…err…it's not over yet!"

Drew pressed his body against a cube as he tried pushing the middle row vertically. It took all of his strength to finally get it moving. Unfortunately, the Pokemon Coordinator was starting to feel the effects of not sleeping for the entire night. Not only was his body failing him at the most important time, he couldn't seem to think as clearly with his head as well.

_Where next…where next? _Drew sighed, looking over his puzzle with a lost expression. He glanced over at Rika again. She already had sevenred squares on the same side. He shook his head and averted his glance from the Tamer. _Damn it! Concentrate, Drew!_

However, Rika soon realized that she encountered a problem. Although her puzzle seemed the most complete on the surface, she was still missing two red squares at the top corners. And in order to get those pieces in the appropriate positions, she had to mess up some of her already completed pieces. She sighed, hating the fact that she was ripping away her progress and hard work. But that could not be helped.

"Rika is losing her lead to Drew…they now both have seven squares. Casey has six. May and Takuya have four. JP is on the board with three. James is _still _struggling." Professor Birch shouted.

"Thinking is _hard_!" James complained, but nobody was listening.

Drew smiled, feeling slightly better that he had caught up to Rika. He turned another row of squares to the left, and then to another left…

_This is it…I'm going to win this. _Drew smirked. He pushed his body against his cube, turning the cubes over with all his might. _All I need is a few more turns! And I'm done!_

He cast another glance at Rika's direction. She seemed to be taking apart her puzzle – it was over for her. Drew turned his attention back on his own Rubik's Cube.

_Left…and another left…then a right…and…_

"We have a winner!" Professor Birch announced.

Drew stopped dead in his tracks. He felt shivers all over his body. _But…but…I'm not finished yet!_

"Casey wins immunity!" Professor Birch continued. The petite girl erupted in an enthusiastic cheer as she ran up to Professor Birch. He handed her the immunity necklace. "Congratulations! You're guaranteed three more days on this island!"

"Thank you!" Casey laughed, instantly equipping the necklace around her neck. "Man, I feel like I'm the dark horse in this competition!"

"Good job, Casey!" James flashed a sincere smile at the petite baseball lover.

Casey nodded her head energetically. She pulled through in this challenge just when she needed immunity the most. She couldn't help but grin in disbelief – she did it…she actually did it! The petite baseball lover turned her head just in time to catch Takuya's expression turn from sour to downright bitter. He was going to target her. He and his equally smug friends thought they could get rid of her with ease. But no – Casey refused to give up without putting one last desperate fight at this challenge. And her determination finally paid off. Now, Casey had immunity around her neck, causing an enormous dent in everybody's strategic plans.

She could already sense the panic in everybody's faces. The girl that everybody wanted gone was safe for three more days. Now, they needed a _new _scapegoat. And it wasn't going to be her. And that made Casey feel _very _happy.

Needless to say, the other players weren't nearly as joyous that Casey won the immunity challenge. Drew, in particular, looked like he was going to collapse in defeat. He closed his eyes and frowned. He spent the entire night practicing with that stupid Rubik's Cube, hoping that he would master all the techniques and cruise to an easy victory. Instead, he lost…no, he didn't lose to just anyone – he lost to the _tiniest _girl in the game and also the _target _who was supposed to take the fall for him at tribal council.

He could hear Casey's giddy laughter in his ears, but the Pokemon Coordinator didn't have enough inner strength to muster a false smile for Casey's victory. He lost immunity. He lost immunity. He lost. He lost. He lost. He didn't just lose in the sense of this important immunity challenge, but he felt that he had also lost the game. He lost immunity and now he lost the game.

Drew opened his eyes again. He caught a brief glance at Takuya and JP, who were both looking at his direction, eyeing over him like wolves that had identified their new prey. The Pokemon Coordinator narrowed his eyes specifically at the chubby Frontier. JP turned away, looking evasive.

_JP Shibayama…_

Drew clenched his fist angrily in his hands. No, this was not over. It was not over until he saw his four-lettered name written down five times in tribal council. Until then, Drew was still a player in this game. Until then, Drew still had a chance to outwit, outplay and outlast. Until then, Drew could still somehow avoid being the ninth member voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands.

He had twenty four hours to convince the players and remove the target on his back.

The clock was ticking.

- - -

**DAY 27**

Casey was not supposed to win the immunity challenge yesterday. It was supposed to be the easiest vote in the entire game. She should have been voted off, she should have reunited with Cassidy, she should have ate the food that her fragile body desperately needed, she should have just joined the jury and be happy again. But everybody's plans had gone haywire since she won immunity. Nobody expected that she would win a fairly physical challenge, considering that she grew extremely weak due to the lack of food consumption in her body system. But what Casey lacked in energy, she made up in her endless determination. She knew she was in danger of being voted off and she won immunity when she needed it the most.

And now, everything will change.

Realizing that she could become an influential factor in the upcoming tribal council, some players were already sucking up to Casey in order to win her vote. In particular, JP wasted no time cozying up to the baseball lover. Ever since they returned to camp, he stuck around Casey like flies to a stick of butter, laughing heartily and making jokes as if they were old friends. To Casey, it felt very forced and insincere, but at least it was an effort.

"We're going after James tonight," said JP. He paused and grinned widely at Casey. "I was wondering if you're interested in joining us."

Casey paused. She was approached by JP while she was cooking breakfast this morning. He had not left alone ever since.

"Who do you mean by _us_?" Casey questioned.

"The rest of the Huntail tribe…" JP replied confidently. "TK, May and Drew are all going to vote out James too. All we need is your vote and we'll have a majority."

"But I thought James was a member of the Huntail tribe too…" Casey muttered.

"Technically yes, that's true." JP shrugged his shoulders as if it wasn't a big deal. "But that's not where his loyalties lie anymore. It's kind of obvious, dude. Even though he stayed in Huntail for a longer time, that guy has more Gorebyss blood running in him."

"I…I just don't understand why you're voting him off instead of Takuya." Casey said.

"We need to vote James out before he has the chance to use his immunity necklace." JP said.

"But what if he uses the necklace at this tribal council?" Casey asked. "Do you have a back-up plan?"

"James won't know that we're targeting him. Nobody would tell him!" JP grinned.

"Yeah, but what if someone tells him…you know, _someone_." Casey muttered, turning her head away from the chubby Frontier. She wasn't very good at lying.

"Dude, there's no problem! If James uses his immunity, we'll just go after Rika. She's next anyway." JP said, snapping his fingers. "So, do you want to vote with us or not?"

Casey nodded her head, albeit she looked a little reluctant at first. An oblivious JP just grinned and patted her on the shoulder, almost as if he was approving of her decision.

"Good, now we need to shorten your name into two letters so you can officially join our alliance!" JP laughed. It took a few seconds for Casey to understand the joke before she let out a small giggle.

_**Casey: **I win immunity and suddenly the big alliance wants to talk to me about strategy again. And I'm like, 'Okay then. So where were you in the last two days when my head was on the chopping block?' Come on, it's so obvious! They're just using me as a vote! That's all I am to these people! A single vote!_

Casey shook her head and sighed.

_**Casey: **Anyway, I'm just happy that I'm in the game for another three days. But I'm not going to let them take James out. No way. I'm going to warn him that he's in danger and he'll use his necklace before the vote, so Rika would be the one who's targeted tonight._

A faint smile spread across the petite girl's face. The dimple on her cheeks appeared radiantly in front of the cameras.

_**Casey: **But you know, it really, really should be Takuya who's going home. But he just keeps escaping the vote every single time! Man, he's lucky that his guardian angel is working overtime to save his butt…_

After breakfast, JP continued his plan to secure votes against James and Rika at the upcoming tribal council. His trusty companion, TK, joined the Frontier on his quest. This time, they were talking to Drew privately inside the forest about their latest plans. JP did most of the talking, while Drew just listened quietly and nodded his head at the appropriate times.

"Whether we agree on James or Rika, we want to include you in our plans." JP flashed an encouraging grin at Drew. "Are we still tight, buddy?"

"You can count on me." Drew replied.

"I know I can." JP laughed, putting an arm around Drew's shoulder. "Okay, all we have to do now is talk to May and make sure that she's going to vote with us tonight."

"You haven't talked to her yet?" Drew asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Ah, no worries, no worries! May won't turn her back on us!" JP shook his head to rid himself of any doubt. "I _know _May, okay?"

"Let me get this straight. You think you have five votes in your favour tonight, right?" Drew asked.

"Yeah…you, me, TK, Casey, and good ol' May." JP grinned. "If I can have my ideal Final Five in this game, it'll be us five – me and my friends."

"By the way, I think Gore…" TK paused and searched for a term that would clarify his definition better. "I think the Gorebyss triois going to target you tonight, Drew."

"Yeah, we kind of lied to them in order to throw them off the scent." JP smiled wryly at the Pokemon Coordinator. He shuffled his feet around, as he always did when he was feeling guilty. "We told them that we're going to vote you off – but don't get the wrong idea! It's just a lie! The real targets are still James and Rika!"

"I understand." Drew nodded his head and smiled enigmatically at the chubby Frontier. It was a knowing smile, a smile that subtly indicated he knew something that JP didn't know about.

As much as the chubby Frontier schemed and planned before tribal council, he did not realize that there was a traitor amongst his tiny clique. He thought he had secured all the necessary votes at the upcoming tribal council. They gave him their word that they would vote James or Rika off, and that was that. Not once did JP doubt their loyalties towards him. After all, he was certain that he could trust his _friends._

But in the game of Survivor, even the strongest friendships would fall apart. And tonight, JP will discover that at least one of his 'friends' would betray him at tribal council.

- - -

While JP was working his magic around the camp, the three members of the original Gorebyss tribe loitered around the forest, knowing that this could be the last time the three of them stayed together as a group. James walked behind Takuya and Rika, twiddling his finger nervously around his immunity necklace. He had a lot to think about today. Earlier in the day, Casey informed him that JP's group was voting for him tonight and insisted that the Team Rocket member use his individual immunity to save himself. Despite James urging Casey to vote with the Gorebyss tribe, the baseball fan stubbornly refused to side with Takuya or Rika no matter what. And now, James realized that his alliance was stuck in a perilous position in the game.

"I talked with May today, but she didn't seem to have any commitments to us." Takuya said quietly. His eyes were fixated on the machete that he was holding in his right hand. "I asked her who she's voting for, but she wouldn't look at me straight in the eye and give me a direct answer."

"Understandable. She won't trust us again." Rika muttered. Her voice sounded even more bitter and sour than usual. "Not after what happened to Takato."

"JP and TK promised us that they're going to vote Drew off, but...but let's be realistic here." Takuya continued, laughing nervously. "Drew is one of them. No way they're going to vote off one of the Huntail boys, not in a million years."

"He's full of shit. They all are." Rika grumbled, nodding her head.

"But if we don't do something about this, they're going to vote us off!" James whispered. "We can't seriously be depending on JP in order to save us, right?"

"I don't see any other way…JP is our only hope. We delayed the inevitable for a long time, but it has always been Gorebyss versus Huntail." Takuya angrily slashed his machete at one of the trees. "Sorry guys. I'm sorry I dragged you into this mess."

"It's a little too late to say that now, you dumbass…" Rika smirked. "We can't cross over to the dark side even if we wanted to."

"You owe us two big fat chocolate milkshakes when we all arrive at the jury's lodge." James chuckled playfully.

"Hey, you should use your immunity necklace tonight." Rika took a quick glance at James.

"We'll understand if you used it." Takuya added, flashing a sincere smile at his direction. "Hell, I would have done it too if I'm in your shoes."

"Yeah…" James murmured, nodding his head. Although the Team Rocket member had their consent to use the necklace, he still felt a little bad that the rest of his alliance was vulnerable in the vote.

"Someone is coming." Rika whispered, glancing ahead at the forest. She narrowed her eyes as she tried figuring out who that person was. "Drew."

"What's he doing here?" Takuya asked, scratching his head.

_**Drew: **The fat idiotic pig set me up so I'll become the new Gorebyss target. He assured me that I'm safe, but all it takes is just one or two wavering minds, and I'll be gone from the game. And I don't like that. No, I don't feel comfortable in this position at all._

Drew smiled deprecatingly at the cameras.

_**Drew: **if I don't like something, I'm going to change it. I will not allow JP Shibayama decide my fate._

"Hi." Drew smiled as he slowly approached the Gorebyss trio. Rika and Takuya both stared at him with suspicion. "I have a proposition for the three of you."

"Ooh la la, this could get interesting!" James chuckled.

"I don't know what JP has told you, but he's planning to vote James off tonight. And if James uses his necklace, the new target is going to be Rika." Drew said in a patient tone. "He already recruited Casey, May and me in his group, so he and TK's votes will add up to five."

"Oh. That confirms it." Takuya dropped his head in disappointment. "We're screwed."

"You're safe, so why are you telling us this?" Rika asked.

"I'd like to offer the three of you…an opportunity to stay in the game." Drew smiled slyly. "I'm willing to vote with you guys and force a tie at the next tribal council."

Takuya's head perked up in excitement, while James nodded his head with enthusiasm as well. Rika remained sceptical and put her hands on her hips.

"What's the condition?" Rika asked.

"I'll vote with you to get JP Shibayama out of this game." Drew said. "It's that simple. I want to see his name appear tonight four times."

"Sorry, but absolutely not." Takuya shook his head rapidly. "I can't vote JP out. I…no, we can't vote him off."

"Don't put words in our mouths, goggle-head." Rika glared at the Frontier with disdain. She turned back to the Pokemon Coordinator. "I thought JP is with you. What's in it for you?"

"Revenge." Drew shrugged his shoulders. "And I'm fed up with his laziness and cocky attitude. Nobody should get a free ride in this game just because they have a lot of friends."

"Ah! So we aren't the only people who noticed that!" James cocked his eyebrow upwards. He turned to Rika and grinned.

"I…I can't!" Takuya clenched his fist angrily. "JP saved us at the last tribal council."

"He's not going to help you every time. He had no obligations towards you." Drew corrected, which caused Takuya to shoot him an unfriendly glare at his direction. Sensing the hostility, Drew just shrugged his shoulders again. "Look, I'll leave you guys to think about this. You can change the game if you want to. I'm willing to force a tie. Think about it, and tell me your decision before we leave for tribal council."

Drew shoved his hands into his pockets, turned around, and began walking away. Takuya sighed heavily and shook his head. He picked up his machete and slashed it repeatedly at a tree, perhaps imagining that tree trunk was Drew's head.

"No, I'm sorry. I can't do it. If it wasn't for JP, I wouldn't even be here in the first place. I would've been the first member of the jury." Takuya muttered.

"Takuya, be reeeeasonable!" James squealed in a high-pitched girly voice. "This is our chance to get back in the game! Another three days!"

"Drew is just stirring shit up! He's lying to us!" Takuya argued, shaking his head once more. "He's saying anything to save himself and I _can't _believe that you actually bought his story!"

"What if Drew is telling the truth?" James muttered meekly. "If what he's saying is true, then Rika and I are in potential danger of getting voted off tonight…"

"JP isn't going to stay loyal to us forever." Rika added.

"I'm willing to take a gamble." Takuya shrugged his shoulders. "We have to trust JP and vote out Drew, just like he had promised."

"Takuya! I…uh…I, wow…I'm speechless." James scratched his head. He turned to face Rika, who had no emotion on her face. "To be honest, I'm kind of offended that you're willing to put our fates on the line in order to protect JP. Deep down, you know that he's going to vote one of us off, but you're still trying to fool yourself into believing something that isn't going to happen."

"Sorry, I didn't mean it like that." Takuya sighed heavily. He had a difficult time getting his words out through his nervous stuttering. "I…I…I see your point, but I don't…I don't want to vote JP off."

"Don't let your ego get in the way, goggle-head." Rika interrupted.

"Besides, one of us would have been voted off anyway. Even if Drew was lying, we have nothing to lose." James shrugged his shoulders. He turned to face Takuya with an innocent expression. "Sooooo, how about it?"

"Alright, alright…we'll all vote for JP, okay?" Takuya said, throwing his arms up in frustration. James smiled widely at the response, while Rika nodded her head slowly in approval. "Vote for JP and hope for the best!"

_**Takuya: **I'm kind of surprised that James and Rika trust Drew so easily, especially since I think he's a nasty piece of work. But I do understand that the whole game could change if Drew is willing to cause a tie tonight. But I still have a lot of suspicions about Drew and why he's risking his neck just to save us. We aren't particularly close to him or anything. I don't trust the guy, but there is really no other choice._

Takuya shook his head and smiled weakly at the cameras.

_**Takuya: **I just wished the vote wasn't between JP and Rika. They're both my friends and I don't want to choose between either of them. And you know, JP was my saviour at the last tribal council, and now I'm going to stab him right in the back. What a wonderful friend I am…_

- - -

When Takuya asked May who she was voting for tonight, she refused to give him a direct answer. However, she must admit that she was tempted to cast a vote against Drew more and more as the day progressed. After carefully observing the tribe for the past two days, the sweet Pokemon Coordinator realized that Clamperl was split in between two sides: Gorebyss versus Huntail. While she held no loyalties to either side, she felt more inclined to team up with any group who wanted the despicable Drew gone. And thus, just hours before tribal council arrived, May was certain that she would cast her vote against the other Pokemon Coordinator in the tribe. Whether the results ended in a tie or not, she did not care. She just wanted Drew gone.

"Takuya's group isn't voting Drew off!" JP shouted. He raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Haven't you heard?"

"Really? I haven't heard anything…" May made a strange expression on her face.

A few minutes ago, JP joined her around the campfire as she boiled the water. It only took one conversation with the chubby Frontier before all of May's plans for tribal council changed for the worse.

"Takuya told me earlier." JP lowered his voice to merely a husky whisper. He caught the sight of Rika and James walking by, both of them glaring at JP with an undignified look. He waited until both of them disappeared before continuing his message. "They're going to vote you off tonight."

"Oh my god..." May muttered. Her worst nightmares had come true – they were going to target her for tribal council!

_**JP: **I told May a little white lie…I'm sorry, but I can't help it! It was the only way I can guarantee that she would vote with us at tonight's tribal council. I noticed that May is sitting on the fence when it comes to strategy, and out of everyone, she's the one person I'm most uncertain about. I feel really bad lying to her, but I can't take the chance that she won't stay loyal to my alliance._

JP bowed his head apologetically in front of the cameras.

_**JP: **Forgive me, May! I hope this doesn't ruin our chances of going out on a date after the game…_

"I'm just as surprised as you are, but I won't let them do anything to you." JP smiled reassuringly. He hesitated for a moment before putting his large hand on May's shoulder. "I've gathered enough votes against Gorebyss at this tribal council. Vote with me and you'll be safe."

"What do you mean?" May asked. JP went on to explain how he recruited TK, Casey and Drew in an alliance at the upcoming vote and how either James or Rika would be the next person targeted.

"James, Rika and Takuya have three votes amongst them, but that's not a majority." JP explained, "As long as you vote with us, we'll have five votes and we can decide which way the game is going."

"I see…" May muttered. She narrowed her eyes suspiciously and gazed into the Frontier's beady eyes. "I can trust you, right?"

"Of course!" JP replied casually.

"You have lied to me before, JP…_twice_." May said quietly. She paused and closed her eyes. "How do I know you're telling me the truth this time?"

"May, remember the pact that we made on your birthday?" JP asked.

May stared silently at the chubby Frontier. She slowly shook his hand off her shoulder. He looked a little hurt by the cold gesture, but continued talking nonetheless.

"We promised that we would never vote for each other, not in a million years." JP shook his head to illustrate his point. "I told you that I would always watch your back and I'm doing it right now. You know me, May. I don't go back on my word."

"Hmm." May made a thoughtful sound. It took her a few seconds before she nodded her head. "I see."

"So, just trust me this time, May." JP said, using a sincere tone as much as possible. "I'm not lying to you. You're in serious danger and I want to save you from it. I want the two of us to make it to the end together, I really do."

"I'm going to ask you once more, JP. Are you lying to me?" May asked quietly.

"Trust me." JP replied.

"I hate dishonest people." May added.

"Trust me." JP repeated.

"Okay, okay. I believe you." May finally nodded her head. She gave the chubby Frontier a brief hug. "I'm going to vote with you guys."

"See, there! Doesn't this feel a lot better?" JP grinned. He sighed dreamily over the sensation of May's arms around his bulky body.

"Thanks for informing me. I really didn't want to go into tribal council like a lost sheep to the slaughter again." May smiled.

"Hey, no problem. Besides, would I be so cruel to let you spend three days alone on the jury with Cassidy?" JP chuckled. "Seriously, I feel bad for whoever got voted off…because they have to deal with Cassidy afterwards."

"Yeah, I could think of better ways to spend my three days in this game." May giggled girlishly.

_**May: **I'm a little paranoid about the upcoming vote. No, that's an understatement. I'm REALLY paranoid about it! JP told me that I'm going to be one of the targets at tonight's tribal council, but he's the only one who I've heard this version of the story from. But I trust JP and I'm going to give him the benefit of the doubt._

May smiled widely at the cameras. She nodded her head a few times as the confidence in her voice built up.

_**May: **May be I'm a little gullible for this game, but I'd really like to see the good in people. I want to believe that they're being truthful with me. I want to believe that their words are honest and sincere. Most of the time, I feel bad doubting about other people's motives…that's just not me, you know?_

The smile on her face slowly faded away.

_**May: **I have thought about the possibility that JP is lying to me – perhaps he's lying to me just so he could use my vote at this tribal council. If I'm wrong and I'm not really the target, I'm going to end up looking like the biggest sucker in the world…again. But oh my god, I hope that's not the case. I hate being lied to. I hate being used. It's the worst feeling in the world, and I absolutely hate it._

By the time JP left May alone to pack her bags inside the shelter, it was almost time for the Clamperl tribe to depart to tribal council. May hurried and threw a few of her belongings in her bags, but in her rush, she dropped her red bandana on the ground.

"Here." Drew said as he picked up the bandana and handed it to May. May accepted it with a friendly smile. "You dropped it."

"Thanks!" May smiled and returned to packing her bag.

"I hope you're smart enough to realize that JP isn't being honest with you." Drew said casually.

May turned around and looked at Drew curiously. The green haired Pokemon Coordinator was looking away, with his hands shoved into his pockets.

"Don't trust him." Drew added.

"What do you mean?" May asked.

But Drew was already walking away in another direction, leaving May to ponder over his enigmatic words as they departed for tribal council.

- - -

Professor Birch usually stood beside the ice sculpture of the majestic Dewgong, which unofficially became the mascot for this game. It used to be a vacant area where he was free to move around, but that was no longer the case as of tonight. The space was now occupied by two new wooden benches, one behind the other. They were seats for the seven jury members, who will attend each tribal council to observe the rest of the game unfold. These benches were placed directly across from the old bleachers where the regular players sat on, positioned in a way so that the players would get an ominous feeling that the jury was watching and judging their every move.

"Let me bring out the first member of our jury." Professor Birch said as the tribe of eight arrived at tribal council.

A few seconds later, a glamorized Cassidy marched into the set, wearing a revealing black dress, high heels, and of course, a smug smirk on her pointed face. She seemed fairly pleased that the immunity necklace was around Casey's neck. She took her seat on a wooden bench across from the rest of the players.

"The members of the jury are here to observe every tribal council to help them determine a winner at the end of the game." Professor Birch explained. "You may not make any communication or contact with the jury members. They are here merely to observe."

Cassidy nodded her head and smirked.

"Casey, you won the immunity challenge yesterday and I must admit that it was quite a feat for someone your size." Professor Birch faced the petite baseball lover with a friendly smile. "How does that immunity around your neck make you feel?"

"I feel like I've hit a home run!" Casey blurted out. She felt a small grin spread across her face. "I'm relieved that I'm not going home tonight, even though I think that's the consensus around here for the past few days. It's not over until it's over. Never give up!"

"Drew, I must address you about this challenge since…" Professor Birch paused and smiled at the Pokemon Coordinator. "You won a Rubik's Cube at the reward challenge, which should have helped you be prepared for the immunity challenge, but you still lost. What happened there?"

"I tried my best, but it wasn't good enough. May be I should have practiced more." Drew shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, I'll give kudos to Casey for being such a great competitor."

"Do you feel vulnerable? Do you feel like you need immunity tonight?" Professor Birch asked.

"I wouldn't mind if I had it around my neck." Drew replied, choosing his words very cautiously.

"May, how about you? Do you feel like you need immunity tonight? Are you in danger?" Professor Birch asked.

"Gosh, I feel vulnerable at every tribal council, professor!" May laughed. She brushed her hair away from her eyes. "Yeah, I think I could be the next one gone. But then again, everybody who doesn't have an immunity necklace is in danger of getting voted off tonight."

"Let's talk about the reward challenge a few days ago." Professor Birch said, "There were a lot of you who swam after the Mudkip with the blue collar, which was suppose to grant you the Rubik's Cube that Drew won. Rika, I remembered that you were one of those people. Why did you choose to go after that prize?"

"Immunity is more important than anything else in this game," said Rika.

"Even the family letters?" Professor Birch asked.

"_Especially _trivial things like family letters." Rika replied coldly. "Those rewards distract us from focusing on the ultimate goal of winning this game."

"Okay, I respect that, but…" Professor Birch smiled wryly and turned towards JP. "JP, you heard what Rika just said. Now how does that make you feel since you were the one who won the barbeque chicken?"

"First, I feel _hungry _since you mentioned the words 'barbeque chicken', heh." JP chuckled, rubbing his stomach to elaborate his point. "But seriously, I know my capabilities. I know I can't beat people like Drew or Takuya at a swimming challenge, so why bother? Nobody else was going after the food reward, so…whatever, dude."

"Takuya, what about you? How important is immunity to you?" Professor Birch asked.

"It's really important and to be honest, I'm still kind of pissed that I barely missed out on winning that Rubik's Cube thingy. I could have beaten Drew if I tried harder." Takuya shot a mock glare at Drew's direction. He waved his hand dismissively. "Oh well. A defeat is a defeat."

"Speaking of immunity…James, do you plan to use your immunity necklace tonight?" Professor Birch asked.

"Yes, I do." James said, pulling out his immunity necklace from his pocket. He slowly put it around his neck. "I'd like to exercise the power of my individual immunity at this tribal council."

"May I ask why?" Professor Birch asked the Team Rocket member.

"Better safe than sorry." James smiled thinly at the professor.

"Okay, I accept that." Professor Birch nodded his head. "James and Casey are immune and could not be voted off tonight. It's time to vote…TK, you're up first."

The blonde got up from his seat and stumbled across the bridge. When he reached the voting shrine, he picked up the black marker and wrote down Rika's name neatly on the parchment in his tiny and slightly girlish writing. He held the vote up and smiled apologetically at the cameras.

"Out of everyone here, I feel like I know you the least. I don't think you put an effort to socialize with other people. You exclude yourself from conversations and your isolation is just getting a little tiresome. But I'm sorry about this vote and the best of luck to you."

JP followed afterwards with a similar vote as his blonde ally. He proudly held up the parchment in front of the cameras, displaying the four-lettered name in all its glory.

"Yeah, we didn't really get along with each other. You're too quiet and too reserved. And I always get the feeling that you have a grudge against me, even though I really didn't do anything to you. Anyway, I don't think you deserve to stay here as much as the others, so yeah. Bye."

Casey was the next person to vote. Like the two boys who went before her, she cast the third vote against Rika for the night.

"I have nothing against you personally, but I don't want James to go. Sorry."

May voted. Takuya voted. Then, it was Rika's turn. The icy Tamer picked up the marker and wrote down two simple letters on the parchment: 'JP'.

"Your big mouth will always be your downfall. Think before you speak."

James was the seventh person to vote. To nobody's surprise, he cast a vote against the chubby Frontier as well.

"I find you a little overbearing at times. You have a tendency to talk over people and you try to assert yourself as the center of attention in almost all of the group discussions. I also think you instigate a lot of the cliques in this tribe. A little consideration goes a long way and you don't have that attribute."

Drew was the last person to vote. He wrote down JP's name on the parchment and smirked to the cameras.

"JP Shibayama, you're going down."

- - -

Professor Birch had the voting urn in his hands, containing the eight votes that were cast tonight. As he began pulling them out one by one, Cassidy rubbed her hands together in anticipation.

"JP."

"JP."

"JP."

JP Shibayama frowned at the barrage of votes thrown in his direction. He had little doubt that these three consecutive votes all came from the three members of the Gorebyss tribe. The chubby Frontier looked a little shocked that the trio decided to target him tonight, especially after he thought he fooled them into voting for Drew. Apparently, they did not believe his transparent lie. TK patted the Frontier on the shoulder as silent encouragement.

"Rika." Professor Birch announced after he read the name on the fourth parchment. "That's three votes against JP and one vote against Rika."

James cast a sheepish glance over at Rika, who remained stoic at the sight of her name. Had he not used the immunity necklace, he knew he would be seeing his name up there instead.

"Rika." Professor Birch repeated the Tamer's name for the second time.

Rika nodded her head, accepting the outcome with an air of calmness and maturity. This was nothing out of the ordinary. She had expected to receive a lot of votes tonight.

"Rika." Professor Birch said, revealing the sixth parchment to the players.

Takuya sighed, looking a little troubled. He glanced at Drew, trying to read his enigmatic face for a hint or some sort. It was impossible to interpret what Drew was feeling right now. Even the smug smirk on his girlish face was incomprehensive. Takuya shook his head, giving up, and returned his attention back to the vote.

"Rika." Professor Birch paused for a dramatic moment. "That's four votes against Rika and three votes against JP."

Drew smirked. His vote had not been revealed yet – and he knew that it would be the shocker of the night. He looked over at JP, who seemed to already be gloating in his seat, falling into a deluded belief that he secured all the necessary votes to eliminate Rika out of the game. On the other hand, Rika looked merely unimpressed at the results. She didn't have high hopes that Drew would keep his word to the Gorebyss tribe. They didn't know – none of them knew.

Professor Birch pulled out the eighth parchment from the voting urn.

"The eight vote," Professor Birch announced as he turned the parchment over. "JP."

A few people gasped audibly at the results – JP was one of them. On the other side of tribal council, Cassidy looked extremely pleased with the results. She was clapping her hands silently when the eighth vote was revealed. But JP was too stunned about the tie to notice her reaction. He was absolutely shocked that the final vote was not cast against Rika, as he had predicted.

One of his friends had betrayed him.

"Oh my god…" May mumbled, burying her face with her hands.

"We have a tie." Professor Birch announced. He turned towards the other players. "In the case of a tie, the two players with votes will have thirty seconds to give a small speech and try to persuade the players to change their minds. Then, we'll vote again. If there is _another _tie, we'll go through another tiebreaker." Professor Birch paused. "According to the guidelines, the next tiebreaker will be determined about the amount of votes received in the past."

_Oh no! _James tensed up. He cast a nervous glance at Rika, suddenly remembering about the one vote that Mimi had cast against the Tamer at the fifth tribal council. Rika had just that one vote against her in the past – one trivial and meaningless vote that Mimi cast against her out of spite. But now, it was about to make the largest difference in the game.

Because JP Shibayama had a clean record so far – zero votes. And he couldn't be a happier man after finding out how the tiebreaker would be determined.

"Rika, we'll start with you first. You have thirty seconds to give a speech and convince your fellow players to switch their votes." Professor Birch turned towards Rika with a small smile. "You may begin."

"I'm honest, I work hard, and you always know where you stand with me." Rika said in a stern voice. "I doubt my few words will change your opinions about me, so vote whatever way you want." She turned to Professor Birch with an unresponsive face. "That's it."

"Good. Now, it's JP's turn." Professor Birch turned to the mouthy Frontier. "You have thirty seconds. Begin."

JP decided to take a different approach. He had no idea which player betrayed him tonight, so instead, he addressed the one player who he knew didn't vote for him. There was one person who JP thought he could convince into switching his vote, purely out of guilt.

"Takuya, remember that if it wasn't for me, you wouldn't be here." JP said, using a harsher tone than he had imagined. "I saved you last time and this is how you repay me?"

"I'm sorry, but I have to do what I have to do." Takuya shrugged his shoulders.

"I risked my entire game in order to save you out of friendship. All I ask now is for you to return the favour, and we'll be even." JP argued. "No, don't even do it out of a favour. Do this out of our _friendship_."

"JP, I'm going to be honest with you because you're my friend." Takuya said, looking earnestly into the Frontier's eyes. "I'm not going to change my vote tonight. I don't like choosing between the two of you, but Rika and I have always been in this together."

"I respect that, Takuya…but you're a traitor." JP said, sounding a little disappointed. Takuya shrugged his shoulders casually.

Just when JP was about to turn to the other players for another desperate pitch, Professor Birch cut him off. Time was up.

"It's time to re-vote. Rika and JP will not vote this time." Professor Birch explained. He motioned TK to get up from his seat. "If we end up with a deadlock again, we'll go into our next tiebreaker. Understand?"

Never in a million years did Rika imagine that somebody as useless as Mimi would be the one sole factor that will seal her fate. And somehow, she enjoyed the irony.

- - -

The six players re-voted and Professor Birch returned once more with the voting urn. He repeated his usual speech and warned the players that if the tie wasn't broken this time, they would be looking at votes cast against the two players in the past.

JP did a silent sigh in relief. He had no votes against him so far in the game. All he could hope for is that Rika had at least one vote against her – which should very likely, considering that she attended far more tribal councils in Gorebyss than he did in Huntail.

Professor Birch began pulling the votes out of the urn one by one.

"JP."

"Rika."

"JP."

"Rika." The professor paused for a dramatic effect. "That's two votes against JP and two votes against Rika. Two votes left."

"JP." Professor Birch announced as he read out the name on the fifth parchment.

Rika nodded her head. She was about to get up her seat before Professor Birch read out her name on the sixth and final parchment. She knew it was over. She watched the professor carefully as he pulled out the last vote from the urn. He unfolded the parchment.

"The ninth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…" Professor Birch turned the vote over. "JP."

For the second time tonight, JP gasped in genuine surprise. He looked visibly shocked that somebody had switched their vote for him again. He did not know who – Casey, May, Drew or even TK – but more than one of his friends had betrayed him, and that was that. The chubby Frontier sighed heavily and got up from his seat. He grabbed his torch and walked over to Professor Birch.

"JP, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch snuffed out JP's torch rapidly. "It's time for you to go."

JP paused and slowly turned around. He scanned through the players' faces rapidly with his beady eyes. He saw a combination of surprise, joy and guilt amongst their expressions.

"When I find out who betrayed me tonight – and believe me, I will find out – I just want to let that person know…" JP paused and flashed a vindictive smile at the rest of the players. "Our friendship is over."

On that note, JP turned around and stomped angrily into the forest. Seconds later, his bulky frame disappeared behind the shadows of the trees forever.

In a rare moment, Rika broke out of character as she grinned widely at the snuffed torch in front of Professor Birch. It was a miracle that she was still here. She could not believe that Drew was actually being honest when he said he wanted to shake the game up. She also could not believe that someone else switched their vote at the last minute, saving her from what was supposed to be an inevitable doom. She looked around, but Rika did not know whom to thank. She did not know which one of JP's allies had a change of heart and changed their votes against the Frontier. But regardless of their identity, Rika was thankful – _very _thankful.

Rika would later find out that her saviour was May. The gullible Pokemon Coordinator switched her vote after she realized that she was not being targeted by Gorebyss, meaning that JP had duped her yet again. Even though she repeatedly told him that she hated dishonesty more than anything else in the world, he continued to use her, manipulate her, and most importantly, he lied to her. That was enough to push May to her edge, enough to justify May's change of heart, enough to convince May to vote out JP Shibayama, liar extraordinaire.

Despite the fact that he was her friend…

Despite the fact that he was her ally…

Despite the fact that they made a pact to never vote for each other…

At the end of the day, May felt no remorse.

- - -

_**JP's Final Words**_

What went wrong? Dude, everything and everything. I thought I would be smart and strategize a lot, but my plan just blew up in my face. Yeah, I'm kind of shocked that I'm sitting here, giving my final words. I really thought I would be safe tonight and Rika would be going home. But there are several sneaky backstabbers left in the game. They got me, and they got me _good_.

I had a blast in this game. Survivor is just so awesome, words can't even describe it. I wouldn't trade this experience and my friendships for anything in the world. Well, may be a chocolate fudge sundae could change my mind. Heh, just kidding!

- - -

_**Next Time on Survivor –**_

**Clamperl catches the food thieves…**  
_Takuya: _What are we going to do with them?  
(Rika grunts angrily. She puts her hands on her hips.)  
_Rika: _Throw them away.

**May and Drew attempt at reconciliation…**  
(Drew stretches his hand out. May looks on suspiciously.)  
_Drew: Truce?_  
(She finally smiles and shakes his hand.)

**And Casey reaches her breaking point…**  
_Casey: _I can't take this anymore.  
(Casey is crying as she speaks. Professor Birch looks concerned.)  
_Casey: _I want to leave.

_**All this and more on – Episode 10: Hopeless**_

- - -

**Author's Notes:** Only four episodes left. I hope you enjoyed this chapter. Thanks to everyone who reviewed (there has been a massive incline for the last chapter!) and everyone who took the survey. You're all awesome! 


	10. Episode 10: Hopeless

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**  
**By: Gomamon**

_**Last Time on Survivor:**_

_After Cassidy was voted off, Drew and Casey find themselves on the chopping block. At the reward challenge, Drew wins an item that could propel him to win immunity the next day. Despite having confirmation from James that Casey was the next target, Drew spent the entire night practicing a Rubik's Cube puzzle, hoping that he would excel at the immunity challenge. Unfortunately, Casey emerges as a dark horse in the challenge and wins her first individual immunity at her most desperate time._

_JP quickly accepts Drew and Casey into his alliance, although they both doubt the sincerity of his offer. Furthermore, he lies to May about her safety in order to secure her vote. An enraged Drew feels used and turns to the Gorebyss alliance for help. He promises to protect Gorebyss by forcing a tie at tribal council against JP. When the tie occurs during the first round of tribal council, May realizes that JP has lied to her. She switches her vote, thus getting JP voted off in a 4 to 2 vote. Seven remain, who will be voted off next?_

**Episode Ten: Hopeless**

**Clamperl: **_CASEY – DREW – JAMES – MAY – RIKA – TAKUYA – TK_

- - -

**DAY 28**

Hope was an important attribute in the game of Survivor; nobody understood this more than TK Takaishi.

Voting in the minority was never a pleasant indication of a player's status. As soon as JP's name appeared on the final parchment last night, TK realized that there had been a shift in power once again. The game was constantly changing, with allegiances crumbling as quickly as they were formed. Although it pained him to watch his dearest friend depart, TK knew his Survivor experience was not over yet. He could sense there was a crack somewhere in the dynamics of the Clamperl tribe, which he would not be afraid to exploit in order to get back in the game. But until he found that hidden splinter, TK must remind himself to _never _lose hope.

_**TK: **I think it's too easy to feel discouraged in this game. Doom is only inevitable because we believe we can't defeat the odds against us. We need to remember that there is always a light at the end of the tunnel. No matter how difficult a problem is, there will always be a solution._

The handsome blonde smiled faintly at the cameras. Being the carrier of the crest of hope, he constantly maintained an optimistic and positive outlook in life.

_**TK: **All we need is to have hope, and a light will eventually guide us out of our hardships._

Looking up at the murky sky this morning, TK realized that it would be difficult to search for his vague definition of 'light' under this hazy weather. Judging from the thick sheet of grey clouds accumulating in the sky, a heavy rainfall was soon expected. Even the Survivor gods seemed to be frowning on his fortune, removing the chance for TK to enjoy the island glory as he retrieved treemail in a pessimistic greyness. Fortunately, TK found a bright source of light and optimism to accompany him today. And she came in the form of a spunky little girl.

"Yeeeeeaaahhh! I'm _so _stoked about the reward challenge!" Casey shouted. She grinned enthusiastically at the handsome blonde. "What do you think the reward will be, TK?" She gasped and clasped her hands together. "Please let us win some food! Please, please, please!"

"I think the reward challenge might get cancelled today. It looks like it's going to rain," said TK.

"Oh. That sucks." Casey muttered, sounding slightly disappointed. She cast a quick glance at the darkening sky before turning her face towards TK again. "Hey, are you feeling okay, TK? You don't seem like your usual self…"

"I…I miss being around JP's presence, that's all." TK replied.

"I know. I know how you feel." Casey smiled sympathetically at the blonde. She was no stranger to losing close friends in the process of this game. She shook her head quickly to rid herself of any burdening memories arising. "Yeah, it's so quiet everywhere! It's kind of spooky. The whole camp just seems less lively without JP around, you know what I mean?"

TK nodded his head. He kicked a small rock on the ground with his right foot. It bounced a few times on the sandy ground before it flopped into the rapid river.

"I'm also worried that I'll become the next target at tribal council." TK admitted.

"Hey, don't worry about it. After last night, I'm proud to say that I've voted for the wrong person in tribal council...twice!" Casey chuckled, forming a victory sign with her hand (which could also be interpreted as the number two). "I'm so out of the loop that I _am _the loop!"

"I take it that you didn't vote for JP last night?" TK asked. Casey shook her head in response. "Then, it has to be Drew and May who betrayed us."

"I knew it! Drew is a weasel!" Casey shouted, snapping her fingers. "And May isn't any better.'

"They're both playing the game very hard." TK nodded.

TK and Casey arrived at the mailbox by the large tree. Usually, there was a Wingull perched on a tree branch with a scroll attached to its beak. Today, there was nothing waiting for them there. The reward challenge was obviously cancelled, at least for today. TK shrugged his shoulders at Casey and they both turned around, walking back in the direction of their camp.

"You know what I like about you, TK? You're a really loyal guy." Casey said. "I'm grateful that you haven't started campaigning against me…" She paused. In a softer tone of voice, she added the word 'yet' to the end of her sentence.

"Thanks, Casey. That means a lot to me." TK said. He flashed a genuine smile at the petite baseball lover.

"You're so different from Drew." Casey added. She scrunched up her nose to display her dissatisfaction. "I thought we were in an alliance together, but he dumped me faster than a hot potato. So much for _his _allegiance!"

_**Casey: **When a person is in danger, that's when you see that person for who they really are. Drew wouldn't even look at me straight in the eye a few days ago. He wanted absolutely nothing to do with me! I'm pretty sure he was campaigning against me too. That guy is such a weasel! Compare him to TK, who has been upfront with me this whole time. And I respect that a lot. He's a class act._

Casey smiled in approval. The dimple on her cheeks was very prominent to the cameras.

_**Casey: **Drew can tell me whatever I want to hear when we're in power together, but the moment the power is gone, so is his loyalty. That tells me a lot about him. It really does._

"Honestly, I'd rather see you win this game than someone like Drew," said Casey.

"Look at it this way, Casey. This game encourages people to partake in as much deceit and betrayal as possible. We get rewarded for being liars and backstabbers." TK said in a quiet voice. "And I'm one of them. We all are."

"Right…" Casey muttered, although she looked dubious.

"What we would do to stay for another three days is an endless list. Somehow, I don't think a good person is going to win this game. Only the two most ruthless people will make it to the end." TK sighed.

Casey could now see their camp ahead of them. She was a little surprised that the rest of the tribe already woke up, considering that they were still asleep before Casey and TK went to retrieve treemail. Now, the five players were huddling in a circle around some object, but Casey couldn't tell what it was.

"Watch out, TK! I think I see May holding a knife." Casey grinned, pointing her finger at the small circle of people nearby the shelter. She had stopped walking momentarily so that TK, who was lagging behind, could catch up to her.

"We're approaching enemy territory straight ahead." TK laughed jokingly. He placed a comforting hand on Casey's shoulder. "Let's proceed with caution, for we never know when we'll get stabbed in the back."

Casey snorted in laughter. She glanced over at TK and he gave her a small nod of head. The two of them began marching towards the Clamperl camp. TK inhaled a deep breath as he walked.

"Let's hope we survive…" TK muttered. He had a small sheepish smile on his face. "We must have hope."

- - -

It was only when Casey and TK reached a closer proximity to camp did they realize something was wrong with the sombre tribe atmosphere. Their tribe members were circling around a container of rice in the kitchen area and none of their expressions were pleasant. Casey felt a wave of distress sweeping past just by looking at their solemn faces. Out of everybody, May looked the most upset – her entire body was practically quivering from shock. Beside the slender girl was Drew, who glanced uncertainly at the Coordinator's direction, almost as if he was contemplating on whether he should console the emotional girl or not. Across from them stood Takuya and James, both looking equally tense and somewhat startled. Rika was the only person who maintained an air of calmness and tranquility that surrounded her, just like always.

Although Casey did not know what was going on yet, she knew the news would not be enjoyable.

"What's going on, guys?" Casey asked as she cautiously approached the group of five. TK followed behind her, displaying an equal amount of concern and bewilderment at the bizarre situation.

"Something happened to our rice supply." James replied with a sigh.

"Huh? What's wrong with our rice?" Casey asked. She gently pushed the Team Rocket member aside to take a closer look at the container of rice. The lid was already removed, allowing the petite baseball lover to leer inside the wooden cylinder. "I don't…oh my god!"

There were two tiny centipedes inside the container, swimming leisurely in the pile of rice. Casey immediately jumped back, shrieking in fright. She recognized these insects as Weedle, the hairy and poisonous bug Pokemon.

"Whoa…wait a minute here! Whoa! Whoa!" Casey shouted loudly. She clasped her hands over her mouth, looking a little nauseated. "Please don't tell me those things were found inside our rice!"

"Don't throw up." Drew smiled cynically at the petite girl.

"I wanted to check how much rice we have left this morning." May explained. Her hands were still trembling in fear. "Then I found those…those Weedles buried underneath the rice. They were at the bottom of the container and I saw them munching on the rice. It was…it was just…_ugh_!"

"Needless to say, we all shitted our pants when we found out." Takuya concluded bluntly.

_**James: **It turns out that two creeeeepy Weedles have been living inside our rice supply for…oh, I don't even know how long they've been in there! I may not know a lot about Pokemon, but here's what you have to know about Weedles: they're hairy, they're ugly, and they're poisonous. And oh yeah, they've been eating all the rice that we have in our camp! Arrrgh!_

The Team Rocket let out a strange combination of a high-pitched squeal and a frustrated growl. He looked very upset as he ran his hand through his lavender blue hair.

_**James: **It…ugh, it's just horrendous! An absolute nightmare! We…we have a crisis in our hands – a serious crisis!_

"So that's why it feels like there's less rice in the container each time…" Casey muttered to herself.

"Somebody probably left the lid open. The Weedles must've sneaked in during night…or perhaps even while we were gone for a challenge." Drew explained. He shot a dirty glare at the container, where the two centipedes were crawling inside. "They liked it in there so much that they chose it as their new habitat."

Casey dropped her head in shame. She suddenly came to the realization that she was most likely responsible for this incident. After all, she had forgotten to close the lid of the container for several times after cooking (and some tribe members politely reminded her to correct this mistake each time).

"What should we do with them?" Takuya asked with a small sigh.

"Throw them away." Rika grunted.

"No, I meant the rice." Takuya frowned. "It's obvious that we've to throw away the bugs, but what are we going to do with the rice?"

"Throw them away." Rika repeated. She folded her arms across her chest. "The rice is contaminated and we can't eat it anymore."

"Hold on…we don't have to throw _everything _away, right?" May looked up for the first time. "I mean, there has to be some rice that we could still eat!"

"They're just bugs. We see them everywhere on this island." TK added.

"They're not just bugs. They're _poisonous _bugs." Drew leaned his body against the rice container. He cautiously inserted his index finger inside and pointed it at one of the centipedes. "You see those pointy barbs on top of their heads? They may seem harmless, but they actually contain some mildly poisonous venom."

"And their tails too…don't forget their tails." Casey added.

"I think I'm going to be sick." James groaned, putting a hand on his flat stomach.

"But we've been eating the rice for so long and nothing has happened to us!" May argued.

"Not yet, anyway. We can't take that risk. Think about the long-term effects. We don't know how long they've been living in our rice supply." Drew responded hastily. "For all we know, they could've contacted a disease or a virus on this island. It's too dangerous for our well beings."

"It just seems like such a waste of food…" May mumbled.

"That's how life goes." Rika grunted.

_**Rika: **We were already low on our food supplies to begin with, so this is exactly the type of thing that shouldn't be happening to us right now. But it does, because we're idiots._

Rika wore an angry scowl on her face.

_**Rika: **We have nobody else to blame but ourselves. Considering how precious food is out here, we should've been more careful with what we have. We've been reckless and now we're going to pay the price._

"Are we overreacting here?" TK asked, raising his right hand in the air as if he was asking a question in a classroom. "We aren't living in an environment where we can afford to throw away an entire container of rice. I don't want us to starve during our final days."

"I don't know about you, but I don't want to eat any more poisonous centipede poop." Takuya muttered.

"I strongly discourage this. It's just too dangerous." Drew shook his head. "Don't ever underestimate how these acids can burn through our intestines."

"Well, what do you think we should do, _doctor_?" May asked. She glared at the short Pokemon Coordinator beside her, perhaps thinking in her head that he was being an annoying know-it-all. "Are we going to starve?"

"I'm trying to be reasonable." Drew replied coolly.

"It's not the end of the world." Rika piped up. "If we ration the rest of our food carefully, we can still endure the next eleven days."

A few players mumbled underneath their breaths, sounding as if they were in doubt.

"We have corn, we have apples, we have fish…we have a lot of resources on this island." Rika continued. She did not care that she was offending anybody right now – she just wanted to speak her mind. "Tough it out, people. We'll just have to make the best of a bad situation."

"I agree." Takuya nodded his head. "We'll just have to rely on other sources of food."

"I'm glad _some _people have common sense." Drew smirked.

_**May: **I have a bad feeling about this. I don't think it's a smart idea for us to just throw away all the food. We were barely getting enough food before, and now our hunger is going to get even worse. We need the rice. We need food. I know I'm not being optimistic about this – and I'm not, but we'll see how it goes. We'll see…_

"Okay, it's decided then. The rice has got to go." Takuya said. He picked up the lid on the floor and put it over the rice container.

"I've got to admit…I'm not looking forward to a diet of just apples and corn." Casey mumbled sadly. "The rice might have been bland and flavourless, but at least it was something, you know?"

"I think we can make through this. We're all in it together." TK said, putting an arm around Casey's shoulder. Casey nodded her head and smiled gratefully at the blonde for his support.

Suddenly, Casey felt a drop of water on her nose. She looked up at the sky and realized that it was raining. The players hurried as they retreated inside the shelter. But even there, they were not completely dry. Some of the rainwater found its way and seeped through the gapped roof.

"Oh damn, I can't believe it's raining at a time like this." Takuya mumbled as he watched the drizzling sky.

"The icing on the cake…" Drew smiled pessimistically.

"What a horrible day." James agreed. "I hope it doesn't get any worse."

- - -

It was still raining.

Sitting inside the shelter, Takuya watched the heavy rain pour from the sky, creating splashes of puddles scattered everywhere across camp. Despite their best efforts to protect the campfire, the weak flame was already extinguished, which meant that they would have to redo the tiring process of starting the fire after everything was dry again. Takuya sighed softly to himself. He never liked rainy days. Too _miserable_. Too _gloomy_. Too _boring_.

_**Takuya: **Rainy days are the worst. Everybody is forced to sit under the same roof together, even though I don't like a few of that people that I'm stuck with. I'm an active and energetic type of guy, so I don't like being crammed in a small, confined space for a long time. Sometimes, I'm like 'Screw this!' I want to run out of the shelter and dance in the rain or something, you know? I just want to do something! Anything!_

Reluctantly, he crawled over to the other end of the shelter and joined Drew and Rika, who seemed to be indulged in a serious conversation or some matter that Takuya wasn't too enthusiastic about. May sat nearby, entertaining herself by playing with the adorable Baby Brock. The rest of the players were either sleeping or attempting to sleep in this noisy weather.

"Whether we like it or not, it became a necessity for us to bring in more food each day." Rika said, looking serious as usual.

"Absolutely." Drew nodded his head. "We need to offset the imbalance in our supplies. When we throw away the rice, there's going to be a shortage of food."

A loud yawn escaped from Takuya's mouth unintentionally, but both Rika and Drew ignored him.

"I'll do my part." Drew said. "James and I could go on a few more fishing trips from now on."

"Right…and I'll continue hunting in the forest." Rika added.

"Hey, I know!" Takuya grinned as he saw an opening to contribute in this conversation. "I could work on my bear trap!"

For the next few seconds, Rika and Drew didn't say anything. Both of them just stared at Takuya, wearing blank expressions on their faces. Finally, Rika cleared her throat and broke the uncomfortable silence.

"Goggle-head, we're having a serious discussion." Rika arched an eyebrow.

"I _am _serious!" Takuya argued. "Look, I've got this idea in my head for the longest time. I have the whole thing sketched out already. I wanna catch a _bigass_ bear! I don't want us to worry about food ever again!"

"Okay then…" Drew said, hiding a malicious smirk from his face.

"I think there are more productive things to do around camp." Rika frowned. "We have a serious issue at hand. This is not the time to fool around with a schoolboy dream."

"I thought you were on my side, Rika…" Takuya muttered. He sounded as if his ego received a huge bruising.

"I'm just telling you how it is." Rika said coldly.

_**Drew: **There hasn't been a leader in Clamperl since Cassidy is gone. Takuya, being the ignorant alpha male that he is, tries to fill this role, but he doesn't have the maturity to do it. I must admit, I prefer Rika's leadership skills so much more. She knows when to take charge, she knows how to stay calm in crises, and she can organize things even amongst this chaos. And a lot of people respect Rika more than Takuya too. He just talks a lot of nonsense, but nobody really listens to him anyway._

Drew smirked. He flipped his emerald green hair with his right hand.

_**Drew: **TK is another good candidate, but he's too afraid to step on anybody's toes to become a great leader. At a time like this, it's important for a strong leader to emerge and take control of this disastrous situation. I'm glad Rika adopted this duty, even if it's somewhat unconsciously._

"You know, I don't really feel _that _hungry. So may be I could just eat less…" Takuya said.

"Of course, you got to enjoy a food reward a few days ago with JP." Rika quickly responded, narrowing her eyes at the cheeky Frontier, who grinned and smacked his forehead in realization. "The rest of us don't have that luxury."

"Oh yeah!" Takuya laughed, with his hand still planted on his forehead.

"You guys…" May whispered, turning her head towards the trio. She had been listening to their conversation for the past while and found a chance to interrupt. "I'm a little worried about Casey. She didn't seem too happy when she found out that we have to cut the food supply."

Takuya cast a glance at Casey, who was lying on her back on the other side of the shelter. Her baseball cap was covering over her face while she slept.

"She lost a lot of weight since she arrived on this island." Rika said quietly.

"Right, we noticed it too back when we were still in Gorebyss." Takuya added.

"I feel really bad for her." May said, holding her right hand close to her chest. "I took a shower with her the other day and she's _so _skinny! Her body looks like it's wasting away…"

"Poor girl." Drew muttered.

"It's not just her." Rika said as she stared bitterly at her own hands. "The lack of food is affecting all of our bodies."

"It's tough living out here. It's tougher than anybody gives it credit for." May nodded her head.

"Yeah…just look at me!" Takuya said. A boyish grin slowly spread across his face. He lifted up his shirt to reveal his undefined abs. "I lost my _six-pack _out here!"

"_What _six-pack?" Rika smiled teasingly at the athletic Frontier, while May and Drew giggled. "I don't think you have any of that to begin with, goggle-head."

"Hey, hey, hey…" Takuya grinned. He waved his finger playfully in front of Rika's face. "I'm very sensitive, you know."

"Hardly." Rika muttered, still smiling.

She knew Takuya was cracking a joke at his own expense, but she did appreciate him for breaking the icy tension within the group. If the cheeky Frontier was good for anything, it was how he added his unique sense of humour even in the most serious situations. That was one of the reasons why Rika tolerated Takuya's presence, even when others often found him a loud and obnoxious nuisance. Sometimes, Rika even _enjoyed _being around the charming and charismatic Takuya.

But of course, she would never admit that to the goggle-head. No way.

- - -

A few hours later, the rain had finally stopped. The players took this opportunity to enjoy the remaining hours of daylight before it turned dark. Most of them scattered across the campsite, finding something to entertain themselves for the rest of the day. In May's case, she was currently sailing across the ocean in the tribe's motorboat, with James as her driver. Holding Baby Brock closely in her arms, there was something delightful even in this dark and depressing atmosphere. She was just glad that she could take a breath of fresh air outside. Well, the air felt mild and a little murky, but she didn't seem to mind.

"I'm glad that it stopped raining." May said.

"Me too." James nodded. He was sitting behind the steering wheel, calmly navigating the boat to the direction of Shipwreck Island.

"Thanks for driving me to the island." May smiled politely at the Team Rocket member. "You and Drew are the only people who know how to drive a boat, and I don't want to owe him a favour…"

"Once you get to know him, he's really not _that _bad of a guy." James chuckled.

"I just don't want to let him see me cry." May muttered. She tried to maintain a friendly poise, albeit she came off a little too bitter.

"Oh." James nodded his head. "I understand."

Their brief conversation ceased and a tranquil silence eased in between the pair. May turned around and faced the gentle sea waves surrounding her. She must admit that she never had much to say to James. Their conversations always ended up being pointless and superficial. They never got along with each other, although they tried their best to be friendly and polite towards each other. Of course, there were unresolved issues between the two of them, but both May and James were too non-confrontational to ever sort out these differences.

_**James: **I'm not extremely keen on May as a person. That girl is quite the manipulator. I talked with Drew a few times and he seems to share the same feelings as me. Sweet girl, but she also has a very conniving side to her. She hid it fairly well amongst these people, but I've seen that side of her a few times…and it wasn't pretty._

James shuddered dramatically to emphasize his point.

_**James: **She deals with people in a terribly underhanded way. You'd think she's being sincere, but she's really not. Underneath that sweet girl-next-door smile is a snake. That's what she is…a scheming snake. She's just not my cup of tea._

They arrived at Shipwreck Island a few minutes later. James parked the boat on shore, tying it to a tree trunk with a rope. May hopped off and landed with both feet on the sand. She still held Baby Brock closely in her arms as she walked. James respected May's wishes and left her alone on the island, choosing to wander aimlessly elsewhere as he gazed at the tropical scenery with a gratifying smile.

May settled down on a nearby boulder in the island. There was another Seel lounging on the sand at a distance.

"I guess…I guess this is goodbye." May mumbled.

Kneeling down on her feet, the slim Coordinator placed Baby Brock on the sand. The tiny Seel had an oblivious expression on its face.

"I'm really sorry, Baby Brock. But we can't afford to have you live at our camp anymore." May said, whispering her words to the Seel. She petted the seal gently on its furry white body. "There's a shortage of food, you see."

May paused. Her shaky voice was getting a little choked up as she spoke each word.

"You eat up a lot of the fish that we catch and…and we can't afford that anymore." May said, wiping a tear from her eyes. "We need all the food that we can get."

Baby Brock stared at May with an innocent look. Its lack of movement seemed to indicate that it did not comprehend what May was saying. Nevertheless, May smiled weakly at the seal and nodded her head.

"You've recovered from your injuries. Brock did a great job nursing you back to health." May said in her best motherly voice. "And now, it's time for you to live in your natural habitat."

She slowly got up on her feet. May brushed some of the sand from her knees.

"I'm not abandoning you, I promise I'll come back and visit you some time." May said.

May nodded her head. She began walking away from the Baby Seel that she left behind by the boulder. It began clapping its paws together in a rapid manner.

"Goodbye, Baby Brock..." May murmured sadly.

"Ready to go?" James asked, approaching the Pokemon Coordinator at the appropriate time. "Or do you want to stay here and reflect your thoughts for a few minutes?"

"No, we can leave now." May said.

"Okay." James nodded his head as he walked towards the boat. He flashed a warm and friendly smile at May's direction. "I must admit, I got pretty emotional just watching you guys. Or may be it's because I'm such a big sucker."

_**May: **I think Baby Brock symbolized my friendship with Brock and Takato in this game. They were the two original people who found this injured Seel on the island, so it's a bit ironic that they aren't here anymore to send him off. Still, even though Baby Brock is gone, I know I'll always value my friendship with Brock and Takato in my heart. I haven't abandoned them at all._

May nodded her head a few times to the cameras.

_**May: **But I've learned that some changes are mandatory. Brock and Takato may have been a part of me before, but they aren't playing the game anymore. And if I want to continue surviving on this island, I'm going have to make several changes to my strategy. I will have to forge new friendships and new alliances in this game. So goodbye Brock, goodbye Takato, goodbye Baby Brock…_

A faint but radiant smile spread across May's beautiful and girlish face.

_**May: **It's time for me to move on._

- - -

**DAY 29**

Rika woke up with a bizarre feeling that she was living in the Gorebyss camp again. Here she was, sitting inside a clumsily built shelter, where the only occupants were Takuya, James, Casey and herself. There were piles of clothes sprawled everywhere, making it difficult for Rika to find her sneakers buried underneath the mess. In the background, she could hear several birds chirping in the forest nearby, but their harmonious tunes were outdone by Takuya's loud snoring and the annoying whistle that happens every time Casey breathes through her nose. If Rika didn't know any better, she would have mistaken this oddly familiar setting as the Gorebyss campsite.

_**Rika: **I'm feeling out of sync lately. The food deprivation, the sleep deprivation, and everything else are setting into my system. God help me, I'm talking to myself everyday in these confessionals. How can this be considered normal behaviour?_

Rika pressed her lips together to form a thin smile on her face.

_**Rika: **Yeah, I might be losing my mind._

When she finally located her shoes in a remote corner of the shelter, she slid them on and climbed outside in her usual quiet, discreet manner. It was a chilly morning today and Rika found herself gravitating towards the campfire out of instinct. On days like this, Rika needed several minutes to clarify the foggy thoughts in her head. How she longed for a cup of coffee to wake her up – and she wasn't even a coffee drinker back at home. But out here, with her basic luxuries stripped away for nearly a month, Rika was starting to feel a little desperate. She craved for a warm cup of coffee, a simple meal, and a chocolate bar since she was feeling greedy. Of course, Rika didn't feel this oriented a few weeks ago, back when she was still living with Gorebyss. Mimi, for all her faults, was an excellent cook who made some fantastic meals despite the limited supplies. It was the delicious food that kept Rika from sinking into insanity back then.

It took her several seconds to shake her head from the sudden wave of nostalgia. No, this wasn't Gorebyss. The merge happened eleven days ago. She was now living in the Clamperl tribe, or more accurately, the former Huntail campsite. There wasn't a trace of Gorebyss anywhere in camp but the four tribe members who lived here.

"Drew, TK, May…" Rika muttered to herself as she gazed inside the shelter. She finally realized the astonishing absence of the three original tribe members. "They're not here."

Without the presence of these three, Clamperl had temporarily become a tribe of four. More precisely, it was now a tribe that consisted of the final four members of the Gorebyss tribe: Rika, Takuya, Casey, and the friendly intruder – James. They entered the merge together in an obvious minority, and miraculously enough, the four of them were still intact three tribal councils later.

"Fishing…" Rika suddenly blurted out to the cameras. She was now staring at the empty space where the tribe's motorboat was parked at. "That's right…they're fishing."

She nodded to herself, vaguely remembering the conversation held last night at dinnertime. In an attempt to fix the problem with a potential food shortage, Drew mentioned something about going on an early morning fishing expedition. As usual, Drew started boasting about his amazing fishing skills somewhere in the discussion and Rika quickly lost interest in what he was saying. But May and TK insisted on helping the Pokemon Coordinator with the fishing. The three of them agreed to wake up early today to go on a fishing trip before the reward challenge.

"Fishing trip, huh?" Rika grunted, raising an eyebrow. She was now staring vacantly into a camera "Or is it more like a strategizing session away from Gorebyss?"

She flashed a rather cynical smile at a camera.

_Quite obvious, isn't it?_ Rika thought.

_**Drew: **Huntail came into the merge with an obvious advantage over Gorebyss in numbers. We were supposed to pick them out one by one, like cherries off a tree. But the problem is that we've turned against each other way too soon. We've self-destructed, leaving Gorebyss four strong. It has come to a point where their alliance has become very threatening to me. Takuya and Rika have a strong bond…and James is more than happy to ride on their coattails to the end. If I don't do something to stop them, they're going to take over this game._

Drew casually tossed his hair with his hand.

_**Drew: **So, that's why I gathered TK and May on the boat this morning for a so-called fishing expedition. There was an ulterior motive behind this, of course. The three of us are away from Huntail, so we can discuss strategy in whatever way we want. And I want to propose an alliance to the two of them. If they're smart, they'll accept it._

The three Huntail members had been sitting in the motorboat for nearly half an hour. Occasionally, they made light conversations to pass time, but the discussion never drifted to the topic of strategy. Drew was holding his face with his right hand and a fishing rod in the other. The fish weren't abundant in this area of the ocean, but Drew didn't mind stalling time. He was just waiting for an appropriate moment to propose his idea to TK and May, who were sitting quietly beside him. Drew would later explain to the cameras that setting the right atmosphere was a pivotal aspect to building an alliance. If he spoke too soon, he might come off as desperate. If he spoke too late, he would sound like he's in a powerless position. Drew knew he needed to spring the question at the right time in order to acquire the best response.

But Drew never expected that someone else would beat him to the punch – someone like _TK Takaishi_.

"I was thinking…" TK began, turning his head to glance at both Drew and May. "I was thinking that the three of us should start working together." He paused, scanning their faces for their reactions, "In an _alliance_."

Drew widened his eyes in surprise. He was a bit startled that TK had pulled the exact words from his mouth. It was almost as if TK had been reading his mind!

"We all know that Takuya, Rika, and James will stick together until the end." TK continued, "Keeping them around is dangerous at this stage of the game. They're a force to be reckoned with."

"You have a valid point." Drew said, nodding his head.

"I absolutely agree." May added.

"Good…this is good! I'm glad we were thinking on the same lines." TK smiled faintly at his two tribe members. "I know we've wronged each other in the past, but are the two of you willing to team up with me? And take down Gorebyss?"

"Yeah, I'm in!" May replied enthusiastically.

"Definitely. Count me in," said Drew. He was still a little upset that TK stole his thunder – his _moment_, but the calm Pokemon Coordinator didn't express his frustration through his emotions.

"Alright! This is really awesome, you guys!" May giggled giddily. "I've been thinking about it for a _long _time. Oh my god, I really wanted to say something, but I was so afraid that you wouldn't agree to it!"

"All we need now is Casey's vote. It'll be easy to convince her to do whatever we say." Drew snapped his fingers and smirked. "The four of us could set our plans in motion at the next tribal council."

"Then, we'll vote out Casey at the Final Four…" May grinned.

"And that leaves us three Huntail members in the Final Three." TK finished, nodding his head in approval. "Just like how it's supposed to be."

_**TK: **What brought the three of us together is a common enemy. We knew that the Gorebyss alliance needs to be separated apart, so it was just a matter of somebody speaking up. And I'm glad I did, because I now have a final three pact with May and Drew!_

TK laughed, flashing a set of straight white teeth that gleamed perfectly in front of the cameras.

_**TK: **Pretty good for someone who was at the wrong side of the vote, right?_

"I know that we've betrayed each other in the past." Drew said, looking earnestly into the eyes of May and TK. "But let's not hold any grudges. Make amends and move on."

"No problems here." TK grinned, "Unless the two of you have any problems with me that I'm not aware about?"

"Nah, you're a good fellow, TK." Drew chuckled.

Then, Drew extended his right hand to where May was sitting. He had turned his body towards May so that he was now talking to her face to face. That way, May could see the seemingly sincere smile on his face in all its glory.

"Truce?" Drew asked.

For a brief moment, he saw a small dash of scepticism flitter in her large, turquoise blue eyes. She would never be able to fully trust him, not after the numerous times that Drew lied to her in the past. But the second quickly passed, and May managed to conceal her distrust under the façade of a cheerful smile. She grabbed Drew's hand and shook it vigorously.

"Yeah, let's start out fresh!" May nodded.

"I promise I'll turn over a new leaf." Drew said this with an impish smile.

"I bet." May smiled, albeit her smile appeared a little strained. "You shook on it now, so there's no going back on the deal."

"I understand the importance of a handshake," said Drew in a vague manner.

"No, that's not good enough." May shook her head. "I want a straight answer out of you, Drew."

"Fine, if that's the way you feel about me." Drew shrugged his shoulders. He raised his hand midway in the air as if he was giving a vow. "I'll honour this alliance to the end. Happy?"

"Very." May muttered.

"Do you guys want to shake hands again? It seems like there's something unresolved between the two of you." TK chuckled. "A little sexual tension perhaps?"

"Not in a million years! Oh my god, how can you say something like that?" May slapped TK lightly on his knee like was a mother scolding her naughty son. However, her words didn't seem to match her reaction, since she was now blushing a little in her cheeks.

"Why's that? Am I not good enough for you, princess?" Drew teased. "Geez, you really need to stop putting yourself up on a pedestal."

"Hey, I didn't say that!" May protested. "I was…"

"Okay!" TK clapped his hands together, interrupting May in the middle of her retort. "No more bickering! We're starting out fresh, remember?"

"Ever the diplomat, TK." Drew grinned.

_**May: **This…this is a very shaky alliance. I don't know if the three of us will stay together for long. We're definitely not going to be the Final Three, I can guarantee you that. Drew has a bad record of keeping his promises in the past. I think that as soon as Drew gets what he needs, he's going to backstab TK and me. But nuh-uh, I'm not going to let him do it. I'm not the same girl as before. I'm more perceptive, I'm more determined, and I'm definitely a lot wiser. And I'm not going to let Drew walk all over me._

May smiled eagerly at the cameras.

_**May: **If Drew wants to be a backstabber, then two can play that game._

It was only a few minutes after the new alliance was built, but plague and paranoia were already plaguing on some of the players. In a sense, May had a perfectly logical reason to worry. Because she was right – this was an unstable alliance that wouldn't endure in the long term. Drew didn't want to take somebody as likable as TK or May to the finals, while May knew she didn't want the despicable Drew anywhere near the million dollars.

For now, the three of them were working together in order to achieve their one common goal. They all wanted to separate the Gorebyss alliance, and they were even willing to put aside their differences to do so.

At this moment, their alliance contained potentially all the power in this game.

But how long will they last?

- - -

Professor Birch was pleased with the improved weather today, which meant that the long anticipated reward challenge would finally take place. The seven players of the Clamperl tribe arrived at the challenge beach with equally enthusiastic attitudes. Although the reward challenge wasn't as pivotal as winning the immunity necklace, it was still a huge morale booster that many of them felt they needed (especially after what happened to them yesterday).

"Welcome to the reward challenge, players." Professor Birch said. He gestured his hand towards his left, where a steep hill was located. "Your reward challenge is waiting for you…on top of that mountain!"

A few players groaned.

"You have five minutes to run to the top of the mountain. If you make it there before time runs out, you'll win the reward." Professor Birch explained. "Since this is a timed challenge, it means that there could be more than _one _winner."

"All of us could win this!" Casey gasped in delight.

"That's right. If all seven of you make it to the top of that mountain before time runs out, everybody will get to enjoy that reward." Professor Birch nodded. "So, want to know what you're playing for?"

"Yeah!" Takuya pumped his fist energetically into the air.

"You'll have to find out by yourself when you get to the top of the mountain." Professor Birch teased. "Oh, and one more thing…"

Professor Birch picked up a large brown sack on the ground. He bent over and pulled out a large watermelon from the bag.

"You'll have to carry these watermelons as you climb up the hill," said Professor Birch.

"You're too cruel, professor…" James laughed nervously.

"Each of you will get one watermelon and then, you'll assign it to another player." Professor Birch explained. "Whoever you choose will have to carry the watermelon that you give them. Do you see how this works?" He paused and skimmed over some uncomfortable expressions on the players' faces. His gaze eventually stopped at Rika, who was standing the closest to him. "Rika, who are you giving your watermelon to?"

Rika looked somewhat uneasy to be asked first. She was put on the spot with little time to prepare for her decision. Scanning over the faces of the other players, she decided that she would base her decision solely on what happened in tribal council. So, whoever voted against her was about to receive a tiny dose of _karma_.

"Casey." Rika replied, offering no explanation.

Professor Birch nodded his head and walked over to where Casey stood, dropping a watermelon by her feet.

"Drew, you're next." Professor Birch said to the green-haired Coordinator, who stood to the right of Rika. "Who's getting your watermelon?"

"I'm picking Casey as well." Drew said. He understood that this challenge was designed to cause rifts between the players, but being the cautious player that he was, Drew didn't want to expose who his number enemy in public. Of course, he despised Takuya with an extreme passion, but there was no need for the goggle-head to find out how much he was hated until tribal council. Instead, Drew chose a much easier alternative: copy Rika. After all, Casey was just a harmless non-entity in this game. She was an easy pick.

Casey frowned a little as Professor Birch dropped the second watermelon by her feet. Next was James' turn, but he didn't look like he was looking forward to it at all. Professor Birch gave him a hasty glance, signalling the Team Rocket member to state his choice.

"Casey." James sighed apologetically. He didn't like alienating anybody in particular, but at times like this, James would rather jump on a bandwagon than put a large target on his back.

Casey's body stiffed a little as Professor Birch gave her the third consecutive watermelon.

"If I had any doubts before, I now know where I stand in this tribe." Casey tried putting on a dignified smile on her usually cheerful face, but her shaky bravado was very apparent to all of the players.

"I'm sorry." James added, but the petite baseball lover ignored him.

"May, your decision please." Professor Birch said.

"I'm going to give Casey a break." May smiled sympathetically at the little girl. "I'm giving my watermelon to Drew."

Drew didn't seem overly bothered when Professor Birch dropped a watermelon by his feet.

"Takuya, how about you?" Professor Birch asked.

"Casey." Takuya instantly replied. His lack of hesitation indicated that this had been a very clear decision to Takuya from the start.

"Casey, this is your _fourth_ watermelon!" Professor Birch announced. As he walked over to Casey with another watermelon from the sack, he made a somewhat insensitive joke. "If this was tribal council, you'd be out already!"

Casey didn't find the professor very funny. The reality was too sad to be funny.

"Casey, who are you giving your watermelon to?" Professor Birch asked. "Are you out for revenge?"

"Takuya." Casey shot a spiteful glare at the athletic Frontier. "Give it to Takuya."

Professor Birch dumped a watermelon by Takuya's feet. Finally, he turned towards TK, the last person in line.

"Casey has more than enough to carry on her shoulders." TK said, smiling graciously at the petite baseball lover. "I'll give my watermelon to Takuya."

"Bring it on, bitches!" Takuya laughed jokingly as Professor Birch gave him another watermelon.

"The end result: Casey has four, Takuya has two, and Drew has one. For those of you who have more than one watermelon, you'll receive a sack where you can put all of your watermelons in." Professor Birch said, tossing two sacks to Takuya and Casey. "Unfortunately Drew, that means you'll have to use your hands."

"No big deal." Drew shrugged his shoulders.

A few minutes later, the seven players gathered at the foot of the mountain, where the starting line of the challenge was located. Professor Birch raised his arm high in the air.

"Survivors ready?" Professor Birch exclaimed. He made a quick motion and dropped his hand. "Go!"

The professor clicked a button on his tiny yellow stopwatch to time as the players began dashing up the steep hill. With his athletic physique and his unoccupied hands, James was naturally leading this race with ease. May and Rika were following closely behind him. There was a larger gap between the two girls and TK, who was already struggling in this challenge with his injured leg. Drew walked at roughly the same cautious pace as the blonde. He took extra precaution not to drop the watermelon and let it roll down the hill.

It was clear from the start that the heavy sacks of watermelon would hinder the progress of Takuya and Casey. Both of them were trailing behind the other players due to the massive weight that they had to carry on their backs. At least Takuya was moving up the mountain as he dragged the sack of watermelon up the hill, albeit very slowly. Casey had trouble even moving her sack (which contained watermelons inside) and she was using _both _of her hands.

"Damn it." Takuya muttered. He was a little peeved that he was sixth place in this uphill race. The sack of watermelon was anchoring him down, although it was only half of the weight of what Casey had to carry.

It was a little over two minutes when the first competitor, James, arrived at the top of the mountain. Seconds later, May and Rika both joined him by his side, ranking second and third respectively. James smiled sweetly at the two girls, feeling pleased that there would be others accompanying him in his reward.

Another minute passed before Drew stumbled past the finish line, looking slightly out of breath. Nonetheless, he kept his graceful poise as he gently placed the watermelon on the ground and walked over to join James, Rika, and May in the winner's circle.

"Nice try, May." Drew smirked as he walked past the female Pokemon Coordinator. She forced a weak smile on her face and mumbled something inaudible under her breath.

Soon, TK arrived, ranking fifth place in this uphill race. He had walked throughout nearly the entire race, but still managed to finish below the time of four minutes. The blonde looked satisfied with his results and joined the others as they waited for Takuya and Casey to finish.

"Only two left…" James mumbled as he watched the sandy path where Takuya and Casey were expected to arrive. "I hope they make it in time."

"It'd be nice if everyone could win this reward, whatever it is." May agreed. Drew also made a sound of consent, although he seemed more curious about the mysterious reward that they had won.

Finally, Takuya arrived at the top of the mountain. He was vehemently pulling a sack of watermelons with his muscular arm. As soon as he took the final step and crossed the finish line, he collapsed on the ground, taking a huge sigh of relief.

"Did…I…run…out…of…time?" Takuya asked, gasping for breath in between each word.

"I hope not." May said hopefully.

Just then, Professor Birch showed up from the other side of the mountain. The beefy professor was carrying a picnic basket in his hand, which brought a few delighted smiles on the players' faces. He waved at the six players as he walked towards them.

"Congratulations to everyone for completing the course under five minutes!" Professor Birch grinned. "James, Rika, May, Drew, TK and _yes, _you too, Takuya – you've all won the reward!"

"Oh, that's great!" James exclaimed. But his joyous reaction changed quickly when he looked around and realized that someone was absent from the group. He murmured sadly, "But Casey isn't here yet…"

"Sorry, but that's way the challenge goes. She's not here, so she won't win anything." Professor Birch said. "But look on the bright side, here's what the six of you have won! I know you guys are going to love this!" He grinned boyishly as he raised the picnic basket high in the air. "Enjoy your very own Survivor picnic!"

- - -

It seemed like forever since Casey had been walking up this mountain, carrying (although Casey would attest that _dragging _was the more accurate term) a sack of four watermelons. By now, her hands felt painfully sore and her legs were trembling from exhaustion. Had it been ten minutes? Twenty minutes? Casey didn't know the exact time that she spent on this challenge, but she realized that it was certainly over by now. She couldn't even see any of her competitors now. This was it – she lost. She lost a seemingly impossible challenge. The challenge itself was easy enough, but it was just that her callous and calculating tribe members wanted her to lose no matter what. They intentionally gave the tiniest girl _four _watermelons to carry up this steep mountain, knowing that she would fail. Even Takuya, who was a fantastic athlete, had difficulties just carrying two watermelons. And Casey had to carry _double _that amount.

Right from the start, it was impossible for Casey to win this challenge. And her tribe members knew it. And they did this to her anyway.

"Never give up…" Casey muttered her personal motto to herself. She forced a weak smile on her boyish face. "Never give up."

No matter how hard she tried and how long she climbed up this mountain, it seemed as if Casey was making little progress at all. But no, she could _not _stop! She could _not _let her tribe members look down on her. Casey already imagined the malicious and patronising smirks on their nasty faces. They tried to bring her down, they tried to vote her out, they tried doing everything to exclude Casey from the group, but Casey will keep persevering no matter what. She could endure anything they throw at her. She was a survivor, and she would never surrender to anybody.

It was a while later when Casey saw the burly structure of Professor Birch walking down the hill, greeting her with a warm and affectionate smile on his face. He offered his right hand to Casey, which she grabbed with a tinge of gratefulness. He felt like a heavenly oasis in the middle of a desert. Although his overlarge lab coat and unfashionable sandals made Professor Birch look like a hippie most of the time, the professor always had a fatherly aura surrounding him. Casey found immense comfort in merely holding his big and beefy hand. At that moment, she felt like he was the only person who understood her pain.

"Casey, I'm sorry. The challenge is over already." Professor Birch flashed a sympathetic smile to the petite girl. "The rest of the players are at the top of the mountain, enjoying their reward. Since you didn't complete the challenge in time, you'll not be allowed to participate in the reward."

Casey nodded her head timidly.

"You don't need to finish this challenge, it's alright. You can drop your sack on the ground." Professor Birch said.

Casey sighed in relief. She released the heavy sack of watermelons from her grip. When she glanced at the ground, she was surprised to see the sack dyed in a deep shade of crimson red. It was originally a brownish beige colour, but the juice that oozed from the crushed watermelons made the sack into an ugly colour of bloody red.

"Let's go," whispered Professor Birch. He still clutched Casey's hand tightly as the two of them walked up the hill at a leisurely pace.

"What did they win?" Casey asked, but the professor did not reply back.

A few minutes later, the two of them finally arrived at the top of the mountain. And that was when Casey got her answer. And that was when Casey's heart sank in disappointment. And that was when Casey saw her tribe members, sitting on a large blue blanket, all enjoying a rambunctious and pleasant picnic together. Actually, it seemed like more of a celebratory feast where everybody was having a good time – except Casey.

Takuya was at the centre of attention as he tried stuffing an enormous sandwich into his big mouth, with a half-laughing May scolding him for not chewing his food properly. TK, Drew and James partook in an animated conversation together, while Rika sat there quietly by herself, absorbing the pleasant atmosphere as she sipped on her glass of lemonade. Everybody was chatting, laughing, eating, and enjoying themselves – all without Casey. In fact, none of them even noticed her presence until Professor Birch cleared his throat.

"Casey!" James gasped in surprise. His once joyous face was immediately filled with remorse as he saw the petite girl, whose sweaty face carried a sour expression and her legs trembled shakily from exhaustion.

Casey stared at the plate of sandwiches by James' knee. Beside that plate was a gigantic chocolate cake and a bowl of fresh fruits (which May was currently endeavouring). Casey closed her eyes and turned away. This was too much, having all this delicious food in front of her that she couldn't even touch. This was not a reward. This was more like _torture_.

"Professor, can we…?" TK began, but he was cut off by a sharp and piercing noise all of a sudden. He immediately turned around and realized that the noise originated from Casey's direction.

She was crying.

"I…I can't take this anymore." Casey sobbed. A few tears streamed down her face, but she quickly wiped them away with her fist. "I can't…I can't…I can't take this."

Casey threw the professor's hand away from hers as she collapsed on the ground. She buried her head into her knees and bawled. Professor Birch stood beside her, helplessly staring at the petite girl like she was a dying animal on the road.

"You hate me! Everyone hates me! I try so hard to get back on my feet, but you just keep pushing me down over and over again!" Casey screamed hysterically. "You're all trying to break me down!"

The players watched her in absolute bewilderment. May had her mouth gawked open, but she was speechless and had no idea what to say. May be that was for the best anyway, since it didn't seem like Casey was rational enough to reason with anybody here.

"I want to leave." Casey muttered, suddenly lowering her voice into a raspy whisper.

"Casey, please calm down…" Professor Birch said, putting a comforting arm over her shoulder. "Here, I'll take you back to your campsite. We can sort things out as we go."

"Nobody wants me here. This isn't fun anymore." Casey sobbed. The professor grabbed her hand and the two of them began walking down the hill together. "I don't want to be here any longer. Anywhere but here…"

- - -

"What the hell was that?" Takuya asked. It was the question that pretty much summarized everybody's feelings at the moment.

The six confused players were sitting on the blanket, now quietly eating whatever was left from their picnic. Their previous rowdy celebration ceased almost immediately, with the festive atmosphere replaced by a sombre and depressing gloom. James picked up his sandwich and took a small nibble before letting out a loud and dramatic sigh. He was already regretting the fact that he gave his watermelon to Casey earlier in the challenge.

"The pressure is getting to her." Rika explained coolly.

"She's the only one who's left out of the reward. She feels excluded from the group." May added in more detail.

"I feel really bad for her…" James murmured.

"I don't." Takuya wore a cheeky smile on his boyish face as he said this. "There has to be winners and losers in every challenge, right? We're all winners and she's the loser. It's as simple as that."

"Have a heart, Takuya." TK glared at Takuya, looking unimpressed.

"I _do _have a heart, it's just…" Takuya paused, searching for the appropriate words to finish his sentence. "It's just that somebody has to lose in the challenge. If all of us are meant to enjoy this reward, then we wouldn't need to compete in the first place. Do you see what I mean? It would be more of a reward rather than a reward _challenge_."

"No, I don't see what you mean." TK shook his head. He took a quick sip from his lemonade before he spoke again. "There was no way anybody could expect Casey to carry four watermelons up that mountain. She's probably the weakest person in terms of strength, not to mention that she hasn't eaten a proper meal in days. She had no chance to win the challenge, and _that _is unfair."

"But she did well in the last immunity challenge." Drew said slyly. He was playing the devil's advocate, hoping to fuel a potential argument within the group. Luckily for him, Takuya took the bait.

"Yeah, that's right!" Takuya exclaimed. "Besides, none of us had a proper meal in the past twenty nine days. You can't just single Casey out!"

_**TK: **I don't agree with Takuya at all. It's a sign of bad sportsmanship for him to say that Casey got what she deserves. Sure, it's easy for him to say something like that when he's stuffing his mouth with food, whereas Casey has to go back to camp on an empty stomach. But Takuya is justifying his actions with an excuse to soothe his conscience. He still thinks he's in the right and…and it's just so ridiculous._

TK shook his head slowly and sighed.

_**TK: **The worst part is that this whole incident is partially Takuya's fault. He knew that Casey had to carry three watermelons already, but he gave her another one without even about the consequences. He could have assigned it to anybody else, but Takuya wanted to kick the poor girl while she was down. I look at him in the picnic and he's gloating as if he was so proud of his accomplishment. And I'm thinking…wow, this guy is a jerk!_

"If I knew this reward was going to involve food, I wouldn't have given my watermelon to Casey." James muttered. Rika glanced at the Team Rocket member sceptically, but she did not add anything to the conversation.

"Instead of piling all the watermelons on Casey, I thought it was logical for everyone to allocate them to the more athletic players." TK said, "We know that she wouldn't be able to carry all that weight."

"This is a competition and everybody should be treated equally." Takuya argued. "I don't see why Casey should be favoured over others just because she's less athletic."

"But not everybody was treated _equally_ in the challenge! That's the problem, Takuya!" TK said, gritting his teeth together with intensity.

"So what? I have to drag two damn watermelons up that mountain! You didn't even have to carry anything in the challenge, pretty boy! You shouldn't even be talking!" Takuya shouted angrily.

"Casey is crying at camp because of _you_!" TK yelled back.

"Oh, so suddenly everything is my fault?" Takuya leaped up from the ground, towering over TK in a hostile manner. After all, the best defense was an intimidating offense. "Is that what you're trying to do? Make me look like the bad guy?"

"Sit down, Takuya. Look, I'm not trying to argue with you." TK said.

"Neither am I." Takuya muttered as he returned to his seat on the blanket. He still wore a stern expression on his boyish face. "But I don't like the way you're accusing me of making Casey cry. I did what I had to do."

"I apologize if I've made you upset." TK bowed his head a little.

Takuya grunted in approval, although he still looked a little peeved at the whole situation. TK bit his lips with his front teeth, as he always did when he felt nervous.

"I'm not sorry for what I did. If you have a problem with this picnic, you can leave right now. Nobody is forcing you to eat this food with me." Takuya said. "I don't know. You can join Casey and cry together or something."

"I'm not leaving, Takuya." TK replied.

"Good, I didn't think you have the balls to do it." Takuya sneered. "So, get off your high horse and stop talking down to me."

TK bit his lips. He didn't respond back.

_**Takuya: **I know we're all supposed to love that guy who can do no wrong, but TK really, really bugs me. Honestly, I don't understand what other people see in him. He's just a boring pretty boy who acts like he's better than the rest of us. If everybody would just pull their heads out of TK's ass for one second, they would realize what a completely moralistic and self-righteous tool he is!_

Takuya laughed disdainfully at the cameras.

_**Takuya: **TK thinks his shit doesn't stink, but he's not as perfect as everyone thinks he is. Let me be the first to say that I'm not on the love bandwagon for TK. Unlike everybody else, I won't be kissing his ass - that's just not me._

"Shut up, you knuckleheads. Both of you – just shut up." Rika grunted. "Everyone was enjoying this picnic until you two butted your big, egoistical heads together."

Takuya pouted a little and folded his arms across his chest.

"We know that this challenge would cause divisions in our tribe. That's what they wanted in the first place – the conflicts, the confrontations, and the unnecessary drama." Rika shook her head in disapproval. "And you're both just stupid enough to fall for the trap."

"Boys will be boys." May whispered to herself.

"Do us all a favour and stop making complete asses out of yourselves. Let the rest of us eat our meals in peace." Rika concluded, glaring at both TK and Takuya with an icy stare. "We've been through hell for the last couple of days, so we could use some damn peace around here to make us feel better about ourselves."

"Yes, ma'am…" Takuya replied sheepishly. He paused as a small, teasing smirk formed on his face. "Ah, Rika sure knows how to put her men in place."

Rika turned to the Frontier with a blank and humourless expression, but several players couldn't resist giggling at Takuya's comment. It seemed as if the hostility and tension had temporarily evaporated, bringing in a much needed change in the unpleasant atmosphere from before. Only Drew looked mildly upset that the argument was dissolved, but both May and James seemed relieved that Rika cleared any animosity within the group.

"Before we go, let's pack some food for Casey." James said as he wrapped a napkin around a sandwich. "It's the least that we could do for her."

"Yeah, that's an awesome idea, James!" May nodded her head with enthusiasm.

"I always knew we were _good _people." Takuya grinned.

"One big happy family again…" Drew muttered under his breath. His voice was barely loud enough for the cameras to capture his words audibly. "Fantastic. That's just fantastic."

_**Drew:** I find it hilarious that those two guys got into an argument today, because TK has the patience of a saint, but Takuya still manages to piss him off. If you're able to make the calmest and most reasonable player lose his cool, you know there's something seriously wrong with you!_

Drew chuckled as he tossed his emerald green hair with his hand.

_**Drew: **I swear, Takuya Kanabara is a little messed up in the head…_

- - -

Talking with Professor Birch helped Casey sort out her befuddled emotions, but only by a little. When she returned to the Clamperl camp by herself, she immediately retreated inside the shelter to rest. She found a strange comfort in doing nothing else but lie on her back and stare at the gapped ceiling above. There was plenty of work to be done around camp, but she had no motivation to do any of it. She just wanted to lie there and drift off to an eternal sleep – sleep all of her problems away.

_**Casey: **I lost control of my emotions today. I mean, I've been standing on a cliff of misery for a while. But the final push off the edge came when I saw everyone…devouring all that delicious food. I was excluded from the group, like always. It was literally the lowest of my lows. I don't know why…why I even bother in this game. Everyone hates me. All of my friends are gone. And all of the food is gone too. This isn't an experience of a lifetime. This isn't fun anymore. I just…wanted to go home._

Casey sighed and put her head down on her knees. She concealed her face from the cameras.

_**Casey: **I try, I try, I try so hard to be friendly and optimistic each day, but it's useless. Those people never made me feel like I'm included as part of the tribe. I'm fighting an uphill battle that I know I can't win. I can't win immunity forever. Sooner or later, my luck is going to run out and then…it's going to be over. I keep fooling myself into thinking that everything is alright, but it's not._

Casey sniffled a little before continuing her confession.

_**Casey: **I don't want to think about it. I just want to go to sleep._

By the time the players returned from their reward, Casey was already asleep inside the shelter. James began walking towards her, holding a couple of sandwiches that he bagged from the picnic. However, May held him back with her arm. She pressed her index finger on her lips as if to indicate silence.

"She hasn't eaten anything all day." James protested in a murmur. "She needs to eat this."

"No, let her sleep. We shouldn't disturb her." May whispered.

"We can save the food for her tomorrow morning." TK added, carrying a comforting smile on his handsome face.

James nodded his head, albeit he looked slightly disheartened as he walked away from Casey. He joined the other players who were sitting around the campfire.

"Make sure you put the food at a place where a Weedle _can't _reach it." Drew said, wearing a small dainty smirk on his face. Takuya laughed as well, but they were the only two people who were amused by the humour in this sombre atmosphere.

"Do you think she'll be alright?" May asked, glancing at the petite baseball lover inside the shelter.

"She's still here, so she decided that she didn't want to quit the game." Drew replied in a much more serious tone.

"Good for her," said James.

"She's going to be okay. Casey will never give up." TK smiled. "She's a tough girl and I know she'll never lose hope for the future."

"No matter how hopeless it might seem…" Rika muttered cynically.

"Well, I'm getting a vibe that Casey doesn't want to be here." Takuya said. He tried to sound as neutral about this situation as possible. "Don't you think it's best if we put Casey out of her misery? Shouldn't we spare her the pain and vote her out at the next tribal council?

A few players exchanged nervous glances with each other. Nobody knew what to say.

"It's just a suggestion." Takuya shrugged his shoulders. "If she's struggling out here, then why keep her in the game?"

"That…that might be a good idea." May mumbled in consent. She began nodding her head to Takuya's words. "May be it's better if Casey got some proper food and rest at the jury's lodge."

"Let's not rush into an impulsive decision." Drew said, choosing his words very cautiously. He narrowed his eyes at May, hoping that she would catch what he was hinting at. "If Casey doesn't want to be here, she'll let us know herself."

"But she's so fragile." May sighed. "I don't want anything bad to happen to her, you know what I mean?"

_**TK: **A lot of us are very protective over Casey because she's young and inexperienced. Don't get me wrong, I'm not underestimating her abilities. I know she's a very capable girl, but…but I treat Casey like a little sister. We all do, actually._

TK paused and bit his lips a few times. He looked hesitant before continuing the rest of his confessional.

_**TK: **Nobody wants to see their little sister get hurt in the game…_

- - -

**DAY 30**

Clamperl was supposed to indicate the unity of Gorebyss and Huntail as one official tribe, but Takuya felt otherwise. The ultimate evidence of hypocrisy over this so-called unison lied in the fact that they were living in the former _Huntail_ camp. Even after the supposed merge, this game remained a constant battle between the two sides. For the past thirty days, a heated competition took place between Gorebyss and Huntail over a difficult struggle for power. Unfortunately, Gorebyss always seemed like the inferior tribe. They were less successful, less triumphant, and generally less dominant. More often than not, Takuya found himself on the losing side in challenges and tribal councils. In comparison to the remarkable successes and victories of Huntail, Gorebyss was supposed to be the _lesser _tribe.

That was the way it has always been. The members of Huntail were supposed to be a band of triumphant winners, whereas the members of Gorebyss were supposed to be a clad of defeated losers – until now, anyway.

"We have the power to change this game," said Rika.

When Takuya first heart these mind-boggling words, he stared at his alliance member in disbelief for a few seconds before he shook his head and chuckled.

"No…no way. That's just crazy talk. _You _are crazy, Rika." Takuya grinned.

"Don't dismiss my idea before you even know what it is, goggle-head." Rika shot Takuya an impatient glare that immediately wiped Takuya's cocky grin from his face.

The two former Gorebyss members were sitting around the campfire, partaking in a private conversation with each other. James, who seemed like an odd third wheel in the duo, was also included in this discussion, but he was more occupied with cooking breakfast. Occasionally, he would mumble a few words of consent, but he kept his eyes fixated on the frying pan and his ears open to the quiet discussion.

"Since you're Rika Nonaka, almighty queen of Dewford Islands, I'm sure your plan is just absolutely _brilliant_." Takuya joked.

"Don't humour me, you idiot. I can't handle your shtick early in the morning." Rika said as she cracked the knuckles on her right fist.

_**James: **Takuya and Rika might squabble a lot, but I believe that they understand each other the best. They spent so much time together that they've formed a very strong bond and…and I know no matter how hard I try, I'll always end up as the third wheel of their alliance. But I don't really mind. I'm just thankful that they've taken me under their wing and they've included me in all of their plans._

James smiled faintly at the cameras. He brushed a few strands of his lavender blue hair away from his large, innocent eyes.

_**James: **Besides, they remind me so much of Jessie and Meowth. May be that's why I feel obliged to stick with Takuya and Rika. I kind of see the three of us as the Team Rocket trio of Dewford Islands, heh! Ooh, that reminds me…we still need a motto!_

"Okay, okay…you're no fun." Takuya sighed in exasperation. "Tell me. I'm listening."

"We should team up with Casey." Rika said.

"What?" Takuya exclaimed.

"We should offer an alliance to Casey." Rika repeated, looking a little impatient with the Frontier. "The four of us will vote out Drew at this tribal council, and then, we'll have an advantage over Huntail."

"No, I heard what you said for the first time, but…" Takuya paused and made a face. "But Casey? Of all people, we have to team up with the girl who hates our guts?"

"She only hates you." Rika shrugged her shoulders.

"Oh, thanks Rika. That makes me feel so much better." Takuya rolled his eyes. His voice was layered with a thick coat of sarcasm. "No seriously, how can you expect us to align with her? She's a traitor!"

"She's a traitor out of circumstances." Rika grunted.

"That doesn't even make any sense!" Takuya smacked his forehead. "Anyway, we know Casey almost has the word _Huntail _tattooed on her forehead – that's how loyal she will be to us. Have you already forgotten who she voted against at the last couple of tribal councils?"

"She betrayed us only because you made it perfectly clear that you wanted nothing to do with her." Rika scowled at the Frontier. "Everyone knew about it. People were manipulating your dislike towards Casey for their own benefit."

"Still, Casey is so damn sneaky. She has no backbone." Takuya shook his head and spitted on the ground nearby James' feet. The Team Rocket member made a face at the unhygienic Frontier before he returned to his cooking. "Don't you remember? She voted Delia and Mimi out even though they were her _friends_. If she's willing to do something like that, there's no way in hell she'll vote with us!"

"We don't know unless we try." Rika muttered.

"Last night, I propose that we vote out Casey as a group and Huntail seems okay with the idea. That's exactly the break we've been waiting for! The targets have been deflected off our backs!" Takuya snapped. "The three of us can stay intact for three more days on this island, so let's not ruin this awesome opportunity!"

_**Rika: **The problem with Takuya is that he's not a long-term thinker. He does things without thinking about the consequences afterwards. He doesn't understand that if we vote Casey out now, we're also voting out the only person who can put Gorebyss into a majority over Huntail. But he doesn't see it. All he can see is his personal dislike for Casey and how he wanted her out since the merge._

Rika stared emotionlessly at the cameras.

_**Rika: **What else can I say? He's a dumbass._

"You're not seeing the big picture, goggle-head. You're just being stubborn," said Rika.

"And you're being stupid." Takuya argued. "No, if we tried aligning with Casey, she'll use it as an excuse to run to Huntail and save herself!"

"Idiot, listen to me…" Rika grunted, but she was interrupted by James' shrieking voice all of a sudden.

"Good morning, Casey!" James exclaimed as he waved animatedly at the awaken Casey, who was walking towards them. He glanced quickly at Takuya and Rika as if to give the two of them a subtle hint to stop talking.

"How are you feeling, Casey?" Takuya asked, quickly changing the topic of their previous discussion.

"A little better." Casey forced a weak smile on her face. She hesitated for a moment before continuing, "I'm really sorry about what happened yesterday. I didn't mean any of the things I say."

"We understand." Rika said, nodding her head.

"You were just having a bad day." James added. "We've all had one of those!"

"Thanks." Casey muttered, with her smile fading away from her face.

She glanced absently at the campfire as if she was deep in thought. There was an uncomfortable silence between the four former Gorebyss members where nobody knew what to say. Finally, Casey took a deep breath and began walking away at the direction of the river.

"I'm going to get treemail." Casey said nonchalantly.

"But…but didn't May already got treemail this morning?" James asked in an uncertain voice. He searched around his pockets until he pulled out a scroll of parchment from his pants. "Uh…Casey? Casey?"

A preoccupied Casey appeared not to have heard the Team Rocket member's warning. She continued walking further away from the trio, stumbling in her steps, until she finally disappeared from their sight. After she was gone, James exchanged nervous glances with his two alliance members. He was clearly concerned about Casey's state of mind.

"Casey isn't the same as before. She totally lost her spirit." James murmured. "May be Takuya is right. May be we should vote her out now and make her feel…feel _happy _again."

"That's right!" Takuya nodded his head enthusiastically. He smiled triumphantly at Rika. "See? James agrees with me!"

Rika stared at him with a look of utter disdain. At this moment, she had several choice words that she wanted to say to the athletic Frontier, but none of them described her thoughts more concisely than this elegant seven-lettered word.

"Dumbass."

- - -

The tenth immunity challenge involved a box of darts, a long white line spray painted on the sand, and a gigantic brick wall with many multi-coloured balloons attached to it. Although the unique set-up seemed bizarre at first, the sharp-witted players quickly made a connection between these three items, accurately predicting what their upcoming challenge will be. In particular, Takuya's face lit up when he first saw the setting. There was an enthusiastic grin spread widely across his boyish face.

"This reminds me of those carnival games where you throw darts at the balloons and try to pop them for prizes!" Takuya exclaimed. "So cool! I love those!"

"I know what you're talking about." May giggled, nodding her head in recognition of the game.

"Welcome to the immunity challenge, Clamperl." Professor Birch greeted the seven players with a zealous smile. The smile faded away a little as he turned to face Casey. "First things first, I need the necklace back."

Casey cringed. She slowly removed the necklace around her neck and handed it back to the professor, albeit demonstrating a fair amount of reluctance. The only item that could keep her invulnerable in the game was now gone.

"Immunity is back up for grabs!" Professor Birch shouted, raising the necklace high in the air. "Now, on with the challenge…as some of you have already guessed, we'll be playing a fun game of balloon darts."

The beefy professor gestured towards the gigantic brick wall placed in the middle of the beach.

"There are exactly two hundred and ten balloons on this wall. That's divided between the seven of you, so each of you has thirty balloons on the wall." Professor Birch continued. "Your objective is to take darts from this box and throw them at the wall, popping as many of your competitors' balloons as possible. If all thirty of your balloons are popped, then you're eliminated from the challenge. The winner will be the last person standing, or the person with the most balloons left once all the daggers run out, whichever comes first."

Drew took a casual glance at the wall and noticed that the balloons came in seven different colours: red, yellow, green, orange, violet, and two shades of blue – light blue and a richer, darker blue. He figured that these seven colours would help distinguish the players' sets of balloons from each other.

"You can only throw the darts from _behind _the white line. In fact, do not cross over the line at any time. If you want to get new darts, you must make your way to the box and grab a handful of it. Don't try to retrieve it on the ground." Professor Birch explained. He was speaking in a low and stern voice, stressing the importance of obeying his instructions. "I do not want anybody getting hurt in this challenge. Do I make myself clear?"

The players nodded their heads. A gentler smile returned to the professor's face.

"Okay, that's good. Now, pick the colour of balloons that you want and we'll get started." Professor Birch said.

It didn't take long for the seven players to divide the colours between them. Drew seemed content to possess the green balloons, while Takuya was equally pleased that he had the red balloons (to match the official tribal colour of Gorebyss). The yellow balloons belonged to TK, the orange to Casey, the violet to May, the light blue to James, and the dark blue to Rika.

"Survivors ready?" Professor Birch raised his arm in the air and then swung it down. "Go!"

A lot of the players immediately grabbed a handful of darts from the large box on the sand. Once they got their supplies, they ran towards the lines and began throwing the darts at the balloons. Only TK and Drew thought of carrying a large pile of darts in both of their hands and placing them down on the ground beside their feet, so that they wouldn't have to make multiple trips back and forth.

"Casey is the first to throw a dart!" Professor Birch announced as the petite baseball girl aimed her dart directly at a red balloon. It flew in a straight line and the balloon made a loud 'pop' sound. "And Takuya takes a hit!"

Takuya returned the favour, hitting one of Casey's orange balloons with ease. Meanwhile, Rika had no difficulty as she shot down three of Drew's balloons in a row. May and James were also throwing their darts, but they landed either too far or too close from the target. One of James' darts even flew over the wall, but none of the throws successfully hit the balloons.

TK and Drew began throwing their darts at the same time, both of them hitting the same red balloon. Drew exchanged a grin with the blonde, and that grin widened when Casey broke another of Takuya's balloons on the other end of the wall.

"They're all gunning for me!" Takuya shouted furiously, directing his comment to nobody in particular. He aimed one of his darts at a yellow balloon, but the direction was slightly skewed to the left and he ended up hitting a violet balloon instead.

"Goggle-head! Concentrate!" Rika yelled.

An increasingly agitated Takuya turned his head to the Tamer and saw that she was mouthing the name 'Drew' to him. He nodded his head once, indicating that he understood her message.

Nearby, James was finally beginning to get the hang of the challenge as he made the occasional hit on the board. May wasn't having as much luck and she still failed to hit even one balloon so far in the challenge. To make matters worst, she was the first person to run out of darts. Groaning a little, May jogged back to the box of darts. Casey and James soon followed her.

Drew and TK continued to aim their darts at Takuya's balloons. They made infrequent hits every now and then, but their accuracy was poor and mostly off the mark. Rika and Takuya fared much better due to their archery experiences. Rika hit every single balloon that she targeted so far, while Takuya knew exactly what he was doing.

"Takuya has eighteen balloons left." Professor Birch announced. "Drew is close behind with nineteen. Casey has twenty four. May has twenty six. TK and Rika both have twenty eight. James has twenty nine – only one balloon hit so far!"

"Don't jinx it!" James chuckled as he returned, carrying a large pile of darts in his hands. He imitated Drew and TK's strategy of bringing a large supply of darts and placing all the excess on the ground. In addition, he conveniently placed the pile between where he and Rika were standing, so both of them would have easy access to the darts.

Over the next few minutes, balloons were popping left and right on the wall. Realizing the threat that Rika was becoming in this challenge, TK and Drew shifted their targets from Takuya's red balloons to Rika's dark blue ones. Only Casey seemed insistent on breaking as many of the crimson red balloons as possible. At the same time, Rika and Takuya continued their persistent strategy, taking down Drew's green balloons one by one. James occasionally helped them out by breaking one or two of Drew's balloons, although it seemed like he was throwing his darts at random. May was still the only person who couldn't hit a single balloon.

Feeling slightly frustrated, May closed her eyes and threw a dart blindly at the wall. To her surprise, she heard a loud 'pop' sound. She gasped in delight – she did it! She hit something! She made it on the board!

"Welcome to the challenge, May! Too bad you hit one of your own balloons." Drew sniggered. May sighed softly and hanged her head in shame.

"Drew has two balloons left! He's getting close to being elim-" Professor Birch announced.

But before the professor could finish his sentence, Rika and Takuya both shot down Drew's final two balloons, knocking the Pokemon Coordinator out of the challenge.

"And just like that, Drew is out!" Professor Birch shouted. "Drew, please take a seat elsewhere."

As Drew bowed out of the challenge, Rika and Takuya exchanged glances with each other again. Nodding their heads in agreement, they both decided to target the darts on the yellow balloons, which belonged to TK.

May was improving, but her throws still lacked the strength or distance for the darts to hit any of the balloons. She lucked out every now and then, occasionally breaking one or two balloon. But compared to the other players, she clearly did not pose a threat.

"Takuya has twelve left. TK is down to sixteen. Rika has seventeen. Casey has twenty one." Professor Birch said. He paused as he watched James accidentally break an orange balloon. "Okay, make that _twenty _balloons. May has twenty four balloons. James has twenty seven."

_Think of it as shooting a basketball through a hoop. _TK thought to himself. He closed his right eye as he aimed for one of Rika's blue balloons. _You can do it, TK…_

Just as TK was about to make a throw, he did not expect Takuya to suddenly launch his body at his feet. A startled TK dropped the dart in his hand, which fortunately did _not _land on any part of Takuya. The Frontier didn't seem fazed at all as he grabbed a handful of darts from TK's pile on the ground.

"Hey, give them back!" TK shouted, looking a little undignified that Takuya stole his darts right in front of his face.

"Nobody said that they were exclusively _your _darts, pretty boy." Takuya sneered.

TK snarled in disapproval, but he returned his concentration on the wall. He aimed his dart at Takuya's red balloon – most likely out of personal revenge – and smiled when he successfully broke one of them. _That'll show him._

Unfortunately, TK's glory did not last long, for Takuya and Rika finished the last of his balloons soon after. TK was also eliminated from the challenge. The blonde now joined the green-haired Coordinator on the sidelines.

"TK is out!" Professor Birch exclaimed. "Right now, Takuya has nine balloons left. Rika has eleven. Casey has fifteen. May has twenty. James has twenty three."

_Pop! Pop! Pop! _Casey cringed as she watched her orange balloons break one by one. Now that TK was out of the challenge, Takuya and Rika moved on to targeting Casey's balloons. _Pop! Pop! Pop! _Casey threw a dart at one of Rika's dark blue balloons, but narrowly missed. It was getting more difficult hitting the balloons since there were less of them on the wall. _Pop! Pop! Pop! _She tried again, aiming her dart at a red balloon this time, but it collided with another dart and both of them landed on the ground. _Pop! Pop! Pop! _She threw two more darts in quick succession, with both of them hitting Rika's dark blue balloons. _Pop! Pop! Pop! _

"Casey is out!" Professor Birch shouted, gesturing the petite baseball lover to join Drew and TK on the sidelines. "Right now, Takuya has eight balloons left, Rika has nine, May has sixteen, and James has twenty two."

Inevitably, May was next on Rika and Takuya's line of firing. It didn't take long before her violet balloons popped one by one. May didn't put much of a fight to defend herself, and soon, she was also eliminated from the challenge. She exchanged knowing smiles with Drew and TK as she joined them on the sidelines.

"May is out!" Professor Birch exclaimed. "Right now, Takuya and Rika both have eight balloons left. James has twenty one!"

Feeling a bit more relaxed, Rika ran to the large box to retrieve more daggers. What she didn't expect was the fact that Takuya went straight for her balloons as soon as her back was turned. A few players gasped in surprise – weren't Rika and Takuya supposedly working together? By the time Rika got back with a handful of daggers, she noticed that she was down to two balloons in this challenge, which Takuya quickly broke in the next five seconds.

"Rika is out of the challenge. Takuya still has eight balloons. James is down to twenty!" Professor Birch said. "Some players seem a little surprised with Takuya's decision to take out Rika."

"It's just a competition, you guys." Takuya said, flashing an apologetic smile to Rika. She had an impish smile on her face, almost as if she comprehended his actions, but the stern Tamer said nothing in return. As she sat down beside Drew, he studied her face with an odd fascination. The wheels in his head were already turning.

The challenge continued as a battle between Takuya and James. Although Takuya had fewer balloons on the wall, he was quickly closing the gap by destroying James' light blue balloons in rapid succession. James managed to put up a good fight, popping two of Takuya's balloons until Takuya had caught up to him. But it was evident that he was no match to the athletic Frontier. Very soon, his final balloons were popped by Takuya's darts.

"Takuya wins immunity!" Professor Birch exclaimed, staring at the brick wall. There were only six balloons remaining – all of them were red. As soon as he heard this announcement, Takuya pumped his fist energetically in the air.

"This is unbelievable." Takuya grinned. "At the start of the challenge, everybody was gunning for me. I thought I'd be the first person eliminated!"

"But you pulled through, Takuya. You're the last person standing." Professor Birch said, handing the immunity necklace to the enthusiastic Frontier. "You won immunity, and you're guaranteed to stay in this game for three more days."

He paused and turned his body towards the other players.

"Unfortunately, the same could not be said to the rest of you. I hate to be the barrier of bad news, but somebody will be going home tonight." Professor Birch continued. "Alright, you can go now. I'll see you at tribal council in a couple of hours."

- - -

While the Gorebyss trio plotted their strategy for the upcoming tribal council, there was another trio doing exactly the same thing elsewhere. Drew, May and TK were sitting inside the motorboat, going on yet another 'fishing trip' (which was quickly becoming their codeword for 'strategy session').They even brought their fishing gear to maintain their façade, but in reality, the fishing trip was merely an excuse for them to get away from the rest of Clamperl. The privacy and isolation of the sea created a perfect setting for the newly formed alliance to discuss their strategies and their future game plans.

"Are we still going with the plan?" TK asked. The term 'plan' was very vague, but both May and Drew knew what the blonde was referring to.

"To be honest, I'm starting to have second thoughts about it." May said in a hesitant tone of voice. "I think it's a bad idea to chain Casey along with our alliance, especially if she doesn't even want to be here."

"Well, I understand…sort of." Drew muttered insincerely. "But let's take a look at priorities here. If we don't break up the Gorebyss alliance now, how will we be able to deal with them at the next vote?"

"Yeah, that's another problem." May groaned.

"If we don't break them up now, we might never get a chance to do so in the future." TK added.

"So, what we have here is a dilemma. Either way, someone is going to get screwed." Drew chuckled.

_**Drew:** Takuya and Rika work extremely well together. The immunity challenge today showed everyone exactly how dangerous they are as a team. Keep them in the game and they'll bulldoze the competition. I think of them as the Bonnie and Clyde of Survivor, because they're the bastards who could rob me of my million dollars._

Drew grinned sheepishly at the cameras, looking like an amused schoolboy who was guilty of making a bad quip.

_**Drew: **Rika needs to be removed from the Gorebyss equation. I don't prefer to see her leave over the likes of May or Takuya, but Gorebyss just can't stay together. And the truth is…it'll be so much easier to break apart that trio if we have Casey's vote. Four votes and Rika is out, done and done. But after we witnessed Casey's episode yesterday, things got a little more…complicated, so to speak._

"I feel really bad that we're keeping Casey around just because she benefits us strategy-wise." May sighed. "I…I feel so heartless doing that."

"Separate your emotions from your strategy." Drew said sternly.

"But it…it feels so _wrong_, you know? It's wrong of us to use Casey because she's an extra vote in our favour. It's wrong of us to manipulate Casey into joining our alliance and then abandon her later. And it's wrong of us to disregard Casey's feelings and only use her to advance ourselves further into the game." May closed her eyes in frustration. "I mean, only a jerk would do something like that."

"If you wanted to call me a jerk, you could've said it explicitly." Drew smirked.

"No, this isn't about you, Drew. We shouldn't be thinking about ourselves. It's not about us – it's about Casey's well being. We should make this decision based on her best interests." May sighed. And my gut tells me that Casey should go to the jury's lodge, get some proper rest and eat some proper food."

"Casey has already been here for thirty days. It's not going to make a big difference if she stays for three more days." Drew maintained his cool poise as he spoke. "Besides, you can't honestly be stupid enough to think that Casey is a larger threat than Gorebyss?"

"How do you know Casey isn't making her final plea to Gorebyss right now? May be she has already turned against us." May argued.

"That's ridiculous. You worry too much." Drew scoffed.

"Guys, we need to make a decision." TK said. "If we're going to vote for Casey, we'll have to inform Gorebyss that we're voting with them. Otherwise, we grab Casey and tell her about our plan."

"Casey." May replied somewhat uncertainly. "I think it should be Casey."

"I still say we vote out Takuya like we originally planned." Drew said, but May was already shaking her head in disagreement.

"What do you think, TK?" May asked, facing the blonde.

"Drew has a really good point." TK paused, biting his lips. "But I'm worried about Casey's emotions. The longer we keep her in this game, the more we'll trample her feelings. We give her hope, but then we snatch it away from her, because sooner or later, we're cutting Casey loose from our alliance. And I'm already dreading for that day to come…"

_**May: **Part of me is pushing for Casey to go because I do believe that she needs to live in a more comfortable environment. Another part of me also knows that if Casey is voted off, it'll keep Gorebyss and Huntail at odds with each other, and yeah, I want that to happen! The more Drew sees Gorebyss as a threat, the more I want to keep them around. This means Drew will stay loyal to Huntail and he won't try to do anything funny. It also removes a target off my back, because I know Gorebyss will vote off Drew or TK over me. So yeah, I think it benefits me if Casey is voted off at this tribal council. And I'll do whatever it takes to make sure that's what happens tonight – with or without Drew's vote._

- - -

Each player carried a different attitude when they arrived at tribal council. For May, she dreaded the unpredictability of this game, knowing that a surprising outcome could spring upon her when she least expected it. For Takuya, he had been here so many times in the past that he was starting to view the process as a boring chore or a monotonous routine. For Drew, he felt relieved that he could take out one of his competitors tonight, making him one step closer to winning a million dollars.

But no matter what methods the players chose to approach tribal council, they all shared one common trait: caution. Tribal council was a place full of surprises. Nobody could be guaranteed absolute security unless they possessed the immunity necklace. Even the most confident of players knew and expected that the vote will not _always _go their way. And Drew was no exception. As much as he thought he would be safe tonight, he would never know for sure until he saw that a torch was snuffed – preferably not _his _torch.

"I'll now bring in the members of the jury." Professor Birch announced.

_Tap. Tap. Tap. _That was the sound of Cassidy's high heels clicking against the cement pathway. The self-confident Team Rocket member marched into the set, with her chest thrust forward and her head held up high. She walked over to the jury's bench and sat down in the front row. JP followed after her, but he chose a seat in the furthest end of the back row, making sure that he would be as far away from Cassidy as possible.

"So, where do we start?" Professor Birch smiled lightly. He clapped his hands together. "Casey, I've got to ask you a few questions about yesterday."

"I was afraid you'd do that." Casey hanged her head and chuckled nervously.

"You found out that you were the only person who didn't win the reward." Professor Birch said. "And when you got to the top of the mountain, you obviously got very emotional…"

"Yeah, I…I uh, regretted saying those things." Casey smiled weakly at the rest of the players. "I want to make it clear to everyone that I do _not _want to leave the game. That's why I'm still here. I still have some fight in me!"

"Why did you say that you wanted to leave?" Professor Birch asked.

"I…I've been so stressed out lately. You know, with Cassidy getting voted out, umm…and then throwing away all the rice. It…it was just too much to handle at once." Casey forced a brave smile at her face, but her shifty eyes betrayed her, and she gazed elsewhere away from the professor. "Simply put, the game got the best of me. I got some sleep, ate some food, and now I don't feel that way anymore."

"Okay, that's good to hear." Professor Birch nodded his head. "Now, Casey mentioned something about throwing away your rice. That sounds like a serious matter! May, tell me what happened."

"It was pretty disgusting, professor." May said, sticking her tongue out to emphasize. "A few days ago, we found two Weedles living inside our rice container. We don't know how they've got in there or how long they've been in there. But the rice was contaminated, so we had no choice. We had to throw it away."

JP widened his eyes in surprise, while Cassidy wore a self-satisfied smirk on her face.

"On the list of the creepiest moments I've encountered in my life, seeing those bugs crawling in the rice is definitely in the top ten." Takuya added with a boyish grin.

"I'd bet it was, Takuya." Professor Birch chuckled. "So, I gather that the last three days has been unpleasant? Am I right, James?"

"The last three days has been absolutely miserable!" James exaggerated in his usual dramatic flair. "We suffered a really devastating loss!"

"Now, I know that things might not look optimistic for us, but I think we'll get through this. We're all in this together." TK interjected, raising his hand in the air to speak. "Losing the rice is not going to make life any easier, that's for sure, but it's all part of the experience. We can learn from this." He paused and bit his lips. "We just need to ration the food, make some more catches, and have a small dose of hope for our futures."

"True. That's very true." James nodded his head quietly.

"On the bright side, you have just nine days left on this island." Professor Birch said. The smile on his face slowly faded away as he added, "Unfortunately, only two of you will be there on the final day. And tonight, another person will be leaving us." He paused, glancing at Takuya. "Okay, it's time to vote. Takuya has immunity, so he's safe tonight. Everyone else is fair game. Drew, you're up first."

Drew crossed the bridge and arrived at the voting shrine. On the piece of blank parchment, he wrote 'Casey' in a neat and tiny handwriting. He held his vote in front of the cameras with a nonchalant shrug.

"Why did you have to go and cry and lose immunity to Takuya? You foolish girl. We would have included you in our plans for sure. This is essentially a vote cast out of pity, that's all it is. Wish you could be around to kick Takuya's ass. Say hi to Cassidy for me."

May was the next person to vote. Like Drew, she cast another vote against the petite baseball lover.

"You're a great girl and I wished things would've worked out differently. I know the last couple of days haven't been fun for you. If there was one thing I could do differently in this game, I would've encouraged the tribe to include you more in our camp activities. I'm really sorry, Casey."

Casey received her third vote of the night, courtesy of TK Takaishi. The blonde smiled faintly at the cameras as he held up his vote, with the name 'Casey' scribbled neatly across the parchment.

"Go to the jury's lodge, chat with your friend Cassidy, sleep on a comfy bed, and eat a big delicious chocolate sundae for me! Take care, Casey."

Takuya voted. Rika voted. James voted. All three Gorebyss members returned to their seats without displaying any evident emotion on their faces. The last person to vote was Casey. The petite baseball lover picked up the black ink marker and scribbled four letters on the parchment.

"The reward challenge confirmed what I already know. You turned your back against me as soon as we were in danger, so an eye for an eye. I think the vote will surprise you. I hope it teaches you that you're _not _invincible in this game."

- - -

A few minutes later, the professor returned from tallying the votes. He placed the small voting urn on a pedestal in front of him. The players stared at the box apprehensively. Another player was about to be voted off.

"When the votes are read, the person voted out will be asked to leave tribal council area immediately." Professor Birch said.

He pulled out the first parchment from the urn. He unfolded the vote.

"First vote…" Professor Birch said, turning the parchment over. "Casey."

Casey nodded her head knowingly. This was the first vote she received in the past thirty days. Unfortunately, Casey had a terrible feeling that it won't be the last. She tilted her Electabuzz baseball cap down so that the hat was covering her big brown eyes. There was no need for her to see her own name appear on the parchment. Hearing it being declared was already difficult enough to manage.

"Casey." Professor Birch read out the second vote.

On the jury, both Cassidy and JP had a look of disappointment on their faces. It was clear that the petite baseball fan was not who they wanted voted off tonight.

"Casey." Professor Birch repeated the name for the third time.

_This could become the most anti-climactic tribal council ever. _Casey joked to herself. She did a small sigh and turned around, glancing at her former Gorebyss members. Takuya and Rika remained calm and enigmatic, but James looked a little wobbly in his seat. His shaky posture reminded Casey of someone who wanted to share a forbidden secret with everyone.

Professor Birch reached into the voting urn and pulled out the fourth vote. He turned it over.

"Drew." Professor Birch declared. "That's three votes for Casey and one vote for Drew."

Drew stared fiercely at the vote. He recognized that it was Casey's messy handwriting, but seeing his name show up at tribal council didn't comfort him at all. He could only hope that this would be the last time he saw his name tonight. Otherwise, Drew knew he would receive one hell of a surprise tonight.

Professor Birch grabbed the fifth vote from the urn. He took a brief glance at the name and waited for a few seconds before he turned it over.

"The tenth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…" Professor Birch said, "Casey."

Drew gave a small nod of approval at the outcome. Although he did not express his feelings in his calm and graceful face, Drew instantly felt a wave of relief wash over his body. Stranger things had happened at tribal council before. Luckily for Drew, tonight was not one of those nights.

Casey received several hand squeezes and a few pats on the backs as she got up from her seat. She grabbed her torch and walked over to Professor Birch. She had a faint smile on her face.

"Casey, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch said as he snuffed her torch. Even in the darkness, he caught a brief glimpse of the cute dimple on Casey's left cheek. "It's time for you to go."

Nodding her head, Casey waved to the remaining players before she walked away, soon camouflaging with the dark shadows of the brooding trees. TK clasped his hands together and put them over his mouth. He sat there silently as he watched her disappear from his sight.

"The past few days have been rocky for Clamperl, but things will get better in the future." Professor Birch said, holding his hands behind his back. The impish grin on his face widened as he shrugged his shoulders. "Or not."

Several players laughed nervously at the professor's cynicism. Cassidy seemed the most amused with his remark.

"In the game of Survivor, there're a lot of things you can't predict. Accidents, misfortunes, disasters…" Professor Birch continued. "In situations like those, all you could do is hope for the best. Alright, I'll see you tomorrow." He paused, and then added, "Goodnight, Clamperl."

Before he got up from his seat, TK took one final glance into the forest where Casey took her walk of shame. Casey was gone. What was supposed to be the zesty spirit, the cheerful persistence, the endless optimism was forever vanished from the Clamperl tribe. While he was comforted knowing that Casey would enjoy a hot shower and a luxurious meal, TK still felt a lingering emptiness within his heart. Because he knew – he knew that her exit tonight could have been easily prevented. The Huntail alliance was willing to team up with Casey and offer her security for at least three more days. If only she didn't lose immunity. If only she didn't have that breakdown. If only she didn't give up hope.

The story of Casey should have been an admirable one. Here was a petite, slightly eccentric girl who faced against unfavourable odds for most of the game. Although she watched her friends leave one by one, she remained a fighter who would never surrender. But for one brief moment, Casey lost hope. She lost hope in her abilities, lost hope in her judgment, lost hope in her future. And that was when Casey also lost the game. Up until then, her determination never faltered. Her continuous optimism kept her alive in this game, whether it meant accepting new opportunities or winning immunity at the most desperate time. She was supposed to be a fighter. She was supposed to _never_ feel hopeless.

"We must always have hope." TK muttered to himself, suddenly remembering a particular conversation between him and Casey. Only now did he realize how true those words were.

Hope was an important attribute in the game of Survivor. Nobody understood this more than TK Takaishi.

- - -

_**Casey's Final Words**_

I wished I had a time machine, so I could take back some of the things I said yesterday. Now, everybody is going to think of me as a quitter. I wanted to stay! I worked too hard for the past thirty days to just give up like that! All I did was lose touch with reality for one moment and that brought me a one-way ticket to the jury's lodge. Oh well, that's me – Casey the bigmouth. I wished I didn't say those things to my tribe. I wished I knew how to shut up. I wished I didn't wear my heart on my sleeves.

I wish, I wish, I wish. There're a lot of things I wished were different, but this Survivor experience was in the past. I live in the present and I look forward to a bright future ahead of me.

- - -

_**Next Time on Survivor –**_

**James feels the pressure…**  
_Drew: _One, two, three.  
(Drew holds up three fingers in front of James' face. He smirks.)  
_Drew: _Vote with us.

**The loved ones come for a surprise visit…**  
_May: _Oh my god!   
(May screams in joy. She embraces her mother affectionately.)  
_May: _I miss you so much!

**And Takuya turns on the charm…**  
(Rika and Takuya are chatting in the forest.)  
_Takuya: _We just need to convince one person.  
(May giggles as Takuya helps her balance on a surfboard. The men watch from a distance.)  
_TK: _He's flirting with her.  
_Drew: _I don't trust May.

**_All this and more on – Episode 11: Three Plus One_**

- - -

**Author's Notes:** Don't forget to review and take the survey after you're finished reading! Just three more episodes to go. Thanks to everybody for your patience and support!


	11. Episode 11: Three Plus One

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**  
By: Gomamon

_**Last Time on Survivor:**_

_The Clamperl tribe receives an unpleasant surprise when they discover that a pair of Weedles has been living inside their rice supply. Worried that their rice has been contaminated by poison, the tribe makes a difficult decision and throw all of their rice away. May also releases Baby Brock into the wild again as part of a plan to conserve and ration food in the tribe._

_TK proposes an anti-Gorebyss alliance with Drew and May, who both readily agreed. They originally wanted to include Casey in their plans and target Takuya, but Casey's emotional outburst after losing the reward challenge caused them to rethink their plans. A majority of the tribe gets the vibe that Casey does not want to be in the game anymore, thus putting her out of the misery of this game in a 6-1 vote. Six remain, who will be voted off next?_

**Episode Eleven: Three Plus One**

**Clamperl: **_DREW – JAMES – MAY – RIKA – TAKUYA – TK_

- - -

**DAY 31**

Takuya didn't sleep last night. Nor did he sleep the night before that. Forty eight hours of anxiety and sleeplessness, perhaps more, if only he had a clock to measure time on this island. For every second he lied there awake, Takuya knew he was losing precious energy that he needed in order to compete in the challenges. Despite spending a month's time living on this island, he was still not used to the insomnia that plagued him from time to time. He tried counting imaginary sheep in his head, he tried pretending that he was a lifeless corpse, and out of sheer desperation, he even tried sleeping on the dirty and uncomfortable sand. In the end, none of these techniques worked. Takuya was still an unhappy, exhausted, and _sleepless _camper.

By the time Takuya finally realized he wouldn't be able to sleep, it was already early morning. He lazily stretched out his arms and legs, relaxing the sore muscles in his body. The most sensitive pain concentrated in his right bicep, which he exercised profusely at the last reward challenge. Ignoring the pain, Takuya then climbed out of the shelter (he had abandoned his sleeping quarters in the sand after he felt a hairy insect crawl over his leg) and joined his tribe members around the campfire. But even the short walk between the shelter and the campfire felt fatiguing to him. He felt like he would collapse on the ground any second now.

"Breakfast smells good, buddy." Takuya grinned, patting James on the back as he plopped down next to the Team Rocket member. He also gave a small nod at Rika, as if it was his acknowledgement to her presence.

"Morning, Takuya!" James chuckled. "I don't even know if apple slices _have_ a smell...well, except for the rotten ones...but whatever floats your boat!"

Takuya laughed half-heartedly, but he wasn't paying much attention to the Team Rocket member. He was busy scanning the shoddy campsite for the first time this morning. There was Rika, who sat across from the two men, watching the campfire with a pensive expression on her face. She almost seemed sad, or may be she was angry, but Takuya could never tell the difference in Rika's emotions. He wasn't even sure if she had _any _emotion most of the time.

From the first day, Rika built an impenetrable barrier around herself, disallowing anyone to approach her or befriend her. Takuya might have gotten the closest to a friendship with the 'ice queen', but even he had some reservations about her. Did Takuya actually know who Rika Nonaka was? Most of the time, she just seemed so unfriendly and unpleasant. But that was only a presumption from people who judged Rika based on that blunt and I-don't-give-a-damn behaviour of hers. Takuya knew better. She was also a quiet, introverted person. But it was the quiet ones who Takuya always thought were the most dangerous. What else did he know about Rika beyond these superficial descriptions? She was laid-back? Stubborn? A good archer? Can kick his ass any day of the week?

_Forget it. _Takuya sighed to himself. He would never understand women. Too many layers. Too much complexity. Especially Rika.

_**Takuya: **I've given up trying to understand Rika. It's like trying to read a book with all its pages torn out. You can't do it. You just can't. And the crazy thing is that I've made a lot of pricey sacrifices for Rika in this game. I gave away my immunity to save her, I screwed up my friendship with JP to save her, I…I did all these things for a girl who gets a kick out of calling me a 'stupid goggle-head'. It's crazy. Not Rika. I'm clearly the crazy one here._

Takuya grinned boyishly at the cameras.

_**Takuya: **But you know what? It's all worth it. I still think Rika is one hell of a girl. I'm really glad I have her as an ally – and a friend, of course, that goes without saying. But an ally who's one hundred percent loyal and honest is a rare find. I can trust Rika with my entire fate in this game because she has those two qualities. We may not always agree on strategies, but I always know where she stands in terms of the game. I have her back and she has my back. At least that's what I'd like to think. Who knows? May be I don't know Rika Nonaka as well as I think I do._

Rika looked different today. Her beautiful auburn hair fell over her shoulders instead of being tied up into a long ponytail behind her head. It gave the tomboyish Tamer a more feminine look than what Takuya was normally used to seeing. This was the first time Takuya thought Rika resembled anything remotely like a girl. An _attractive _girl, Takuya thought to himself with a small smile. After all, she did inherit the genes of a glamorous supermodel. Takuya only knew this snippet of Rika's background from a casual conversation with Takato a while ago. Rika never shared anything about her family. Or about herself, for that matter.

Takuya let his gaze lingered on Rika for several seconds until he turned away. He felt oddly embarrassed for some reason, but his head did not indulge in the matter. He shifted his attention elsewhere and he finally noticed the absence of the three Huntail tribe members. They were nowhere to be found in the camp.

"Where is everyone else?" Takuya asked.

James and Rika exchanged knowing glances with each other.

"They're _fish_igizing again." Rika smirked defiantly as she said this. It took Takuya a couple of seconds before he realized that she merged two words together to form a new one: _fishing_ and _strategizing_, two popular activities of the Huntail tribe members.

"You think so?" Takuya asked, scratching his head.

"I know so." Rika responded without missing a beat.

"It is _so _obvious. They don't even have the decency to hide their scheming from us." James added, nodding his head.

"Come to think of it, I see those three hanging around each other a lot lately." Takuya was also nodding his head now in agreement. "There's definitely some shady business going on."

"Perfectly reasonable, given that it's us three against those three," said Rika.

"That's how they want to play the game, huh?" Takuya grinned cheekily. He turned to his two allies as the grin widened on his face. "So, which one of the three musketeers do you want to vote out first?"

"Drew. He's the biggest manipulator in this game." Rika replied.

"I'd go straight for May personally." James said, shrugging his shoulders in uncertainty. "She's a sneaky girl playing with a sneaky strategy. She's sneaky, sneaky, sneaky!"

"No, not May…not yet. We might still need May in the future. Besides, she hardly poses a threat compared to those two guys." Takuya shook his head. "I say we get rid of the pretty boy. Drew and May will be gunning at each other's throats if it wasn't for Saint TK holding them together."

"Hmm." James put his index finger on his chin. "We _really _need to come together with a unanimous decision, you guys."

"Well, on hindsight, Rika always has the best instincts out of the three of us. Let's just vote out Drew. I never liked the guy anyway," said Takuya. James mumbled something in consent, although he looked a little hesitant with this idea. Neither of his allies noticed the subtle shift in James' attitude.

"Drew, it is then." Rika said in confirmation.

"Great, we have a target! Now we need the votes…" Takuya muttered.

_**James: **The numbers are dwindling and there's not much room to hide. The tribe is clearly divided between Huntail and Gorebyss, three versus three. I don't want to commit to anything yet, but the situation forces me to pick a side. And if I pick the wrong side…that could very well be the end of me. I don't have the individual immunity to protect me anymore. I…I could be the next one to go if I don't play my cards right. Oh, I'm sooooo confused!_

James sighed dramatically and put his head down into his knees. He looked up again at the cameras with a frustrated smile.

_**James: **Get out the gloves, because there's definitely going to be blood shed in this battle. The game is on._

After breakfast, Takuya and Rika followed their usual habits of going into the forest and hunt for food. James stayed behind at the camp to wash the dishes and clean up around the sloppy campsite (all of which were Casey's jobs beforehand). In the forest, the two Gorebyss allies walked together in complete silence, stealthily preying on any unsuspecting birds hiding in the trees. Hunting was a task that involved patience, a quality which Takuya unfortunately did not possess. Only several minutes passed before he began talking again.

"Are you still upset with me?" Takuya suddenly asked out of the blue. He was speaking in a loud whisper. "You know, for voting Casey out instead of aligning with her?"

"We missed an opportunity to get even. We had an advantage over Huntail in numbers and we lost it." Rika grunted.

"I still think we made the right choice." Takuya whispered. "We…we are still here, right? Three more days!"

"It's not about time. Survivor is a game of numbers." Rika muttered. "And right now, we don't have the numbers. In the case of a tiebreaker, one of us is going. We both have votes cast against us in the past."

"No problem." Takuya waved his hand in dismissal. He tried putting a brave smile on his face, "We just need to convince one person."

"It's not as easy as it seems. The three of them are getting closer by the minute," said Rika.

"We know their alliance isn't that strong and it'll fall into pieces if we give it a big shove. Here's my plan of attack," Takuya continued, ignoring his ally's cynical remark. "Divide and conquer, baby!"

"Divide and conquer…" Rika repeated his words emotionlessly, almost uncertainly.

"Yep! In the next three days, each of us will try to sway an individual vote. As long as we can divide their votes, we'll get the majority at tribal council." Takuya explained. "I'll try to change May's vote, since she's obviously the weakest link in the alliance. You go with TK, and James will work his magic with Drew."

"It's not going to work." Rika muttered in an unimpressed tone.

"It's the most we could do right now, Rika." Takuya frowned. "Work with me here, alright?"

Rika didn't reply back. She stared straight ahead into the nothingness of the forest, pondering in thought. Takuya looked uneasy at the awkward silence, so he decided to change the conversation in another direction – a more positive direction.

"Hey, look at us! We were supposed to be hunting here, but we're spending our time talking about how to vote out the Huntail people." Takuya laughed. "We're turning into one of _them_! We are…"

"_Hunt_igizing." Rika finished the sentence with a thin smile. She rolled her eyes.

"What…" Takuya paused. His tone of voice suddenly became more serious. "What would you call it if I wanted to discuss about voting James out?"

"Then we're both assholes." Rika replied bluntly.

"No, I don't mean we _actually _do it. It's just s-speculation and stuff." Takuya quickly recovered, albeit he was stuttering a little. "How much can we trust James? I mean, I really like the guy…but do we know where he stands with us? He spent more time with Huntail than he did with us."

"James is loyal to us," said Rika.

"He seems awfully chummy with Drew though." Takuya said. "I…I'm getting an uneasy feeling that James will tell Drew that we're voting him out. I think he told Casey that we were voting her out. He's a squealer."

"Listen, goggle-head. You're getting paranoid over the wrong things. You should be worrying about how the hell we're going to convince a person from Huntail to switch their allegiance." Rika's voice sounded so firm and confident that Takuya was instantly convinced to believe her. "James won't tell anybody about our plans."

But she was wrong.

- - -

Drew knew how to capitalize on an ideal opportunity when he saw one. When the three Huntail members arrived from their fishing trip, they realized that James was all alone in the Clamperl tribe. Takuya and Rika were not with him. Drew smirked, almost wanting to look up at the sky and say a thankful prayer. _This _was an opportunity handed to him on a golden platter.

He exchanged looks with May and TK, who both nodded their heads at him. There was an apparent mutual agreement in this decision. All three of them were thinking the same thing as soon as they saw James: they need his vote.

_**TK: **If it's possible, I'd like to avoid a tie at the next tribal council. Ties are shaky. Ties are unpredictable. Ties are bad. Last time a tie happened, JP ended up going home because someone switched their vote at the last minute. This could happen again. And I do have three votes cast against me in the past, which will definitely do me more harm than good._

TK had a serious expression on his face as he said this. He paused for a moment to collect his thoughts.

_**TK: **I think it's important to secure James' vote at tribal council. Drew and May could be very wishy-washy at times and they may just change their votes on a whim. It's better if we have James on our side. It will make the demise of Gorebyss a more definite thing._

The footsteps behind James' back notified him that someone was approaching from behind. Until now, he had been washing the dishes by the river alone. He was enjoying a rare moment of peace by himself, a rare moment of solitude that was difficult to find in a game where he was constantly observed. Takuya and Rika always respected his wishes for some 'alone time'. One thing James appreciated about the two Gorebyss members was how constantly accommodating they were to him. When he first set foot into the Gorebyss tribe, they welcomed him, they accepted him, and most importantly, they _respected _him. Takuya, as loud and overbearing he might be sometimes, never once invaded James' privacy when he requested for it. And of course, it was no surprise that lone wolf Rika understood how everyone needed their own personal space in this game. James always thought Gorebyss consisted of a supportive group of people, with one or two unpleasant exceptions aside. They were also different – _thankfully _different from the people he knew in Huntail.

He turned around and saw the three Huntail members walking towards him, all wearing polite (but obviously false) smiles on their faces. James sighed softly. He knew what was coming.

"Hello, James." Drew said, taking an uninvited seat next to the Team Rocket member. He picked up a dish and dipped it in the river for a brief second before taking it out again. "Let's talk."

"We want to make you a deal," said May.

"We're not forcing you to do anything yet, but it's just an idea that we'd like you to hear," added TK.

"I'm listening." James muttered uncomfortably.

"Vote with us, James." Drew said, getting straight to the point of the conversation. He was never one to beat around the bush, especially when it came down to strategic discussions. "Let's defeat Gorebyss together."

"You want me to vote out Takuya?" James asked, raising an eyebrow. He paused, and then added, "And Rika?"

"Precisely." Drew nodded his head.

"And why would I want to do that?" James asked, with a hint of defiance in his voice. "Why…why would I want to work with the people who only started talking to me when they realized I'm an extra vote they could use at tribal council?"

May gulped nervously. TK also had a sheepish expression on his face, shifting his eyes uneasily away from James. Just by looking at their reactions, James knew they were both guilty as charged. However, Drew remained unaffected by his remark, shrugging his shoulders as if the accusation wasn't addressed to him.

"Here's why you should vote with us. If you plan to stick with Gorebyss, who is a sinking ship by the way, and by some miracle, you get into the Final Two with either Takuya or Rika…" Drew paused as a smug smirk spread across his face, "See the three of us sitting here? We'll be three potential votes in the jury. And if you don't vote with us now, and none of us will vote for you at the end."

Drew held up three fingers in his right hand. He waved them in front of James' face, who was watching with a combination of fright and disgust in his face.

"One, two, three. Poof, poof, poof. Gone. That's three votes you won't be receiving in the Final Two." Drew continued, snapping his fingers as he listed each number. "In that case, I certainly hoped you're good enough friends with Cassidy and JP to rely on them to vote for you. You'll need it."

_**Drew: **It has always been my intention to go to the Final Two with James. Well, that's not entirely true. For a while, I wanted to go to the finals with Cassidy, because it would've been an easy cakewalk victory against the most unpopular player in the game. But those geniuses put their six brain cells together and voted her off. So, I'm back to my original plan. I want to bring James to the finals. I know I can win against him._

He flipped his hair casually with his hand.

_**Drew: **I'll admit, I've set up James for a very big fall in the end. I made him the perfect scapegoat in my strategy. It was me who lured him to backstab the 'Breakfast Club' alliance, which caused him to receive a lot of animosity from JP and TK. It was me who wrote 'Brock Sucks' on the motorboat, infuriating Brock and his little pep rally. And very soon, I can claim the credit that I turned James against his alliance with Rika and Takuya, which will lead both of them to hate his guts. Everyone hates James and I just love it!_

Drew smirked, although it seemed a little strained this time. Perhaps he suddenly felt a hint of remorse in his conscience, although he would never admit it to the cameras.

_**Drew: **Until he left Huntail, James was the most disliked player in our tribe. And it's going to happen again, right here in Clamperl. Here's my prediction for the rest of the game. I predict that the whole tribe will hate James by Day 39. I predict that James will take me into the Final Two. I predict that James will receive a backlash from an angry jury for playing a shabby game. And I predict that I'll emerge out of this game as the Sole Survivor._

"You…you're putting me in a _really _uncomfortable situation." James muttered, but it came out more as a pathetic whimper.

"It doesn't have to be that way, James. You can change that." TK suddenly spoke up. He knew his role in this conversation. It was the oldest trick in the book. He was the 'good cop' and Drew was the 'bad cop'. They were the angel and the devil sitting on James' shoulder, telling him what decision to make. Although their deliveries were different in style, both of them carried the same message at heart.

"Hypothetically speaking, if I vote out Takuya and Rika with you guys, they won't vote for me to win either." James murmured. "It's like a _lose-lose_ situation for me."

"But that's only two votes you'll be losing. It's better than three jury votes, isn't it?" TK said in a persuasive tone.

"If they were your real friends, it shouldn't matter that you voted against them." Drew added. "They'd still vote for you to win."

"Well…" James muttered uncertainly. "I…uh…it's not that easy…"

"Let's look at it this way, James. We have the numbers against Gorebyss without your vote. We'd win against Takuya or Rika in a tiebreaker anyway." Drew said, with an astonishing amount of calmness in his tone and attitude. "But we want you to vote with us. We don't want to leave you out. We don't want you to close all your options in the future." He paused, taking a brief glance at TK and May. "You're a great ally, James. And you're a great guy too. We like you, James, and we want to keep you around. But if you vote with Gorebyss, you would have backed yourself into a corner that you couldn't get out of. And when that happens, we'd have no choice but to vote you out."

James closed his eyes, absorbing Drew's words in his head quietly.

"G…give me some time." James murmured softly.

May turned her gaze from James' worried face to Drew's cool and calm demeanour. _Oh my god, I can't believe he's buying into all that! _May thought. She looked a little awestruck at the whole conversation. _Drew is so full of it!_

"We'll leave you alone now. Think about it, James." Drew said, slowly getting up. He walked away in the opposite direction, with May and TK following him obediently. Soon, the three Huntail members disappeared from sight, fading away with the rest of the scenery.

And James was alone again.

_**James: **They brought up a lot of good points. I know I can't rely on Takuya and Rika to carry me for the rest of the game, but…but I've an uneasy feeling that it's the wrong thing listening to Drew and his troop. Oh, my head hurts. I feel like I've been brainwashed. This really complicates things…a lot._

James buried his face into his hands, refusing to look at the cameras as he spoke. A few silent seconds passed by before he looked up at the cameras again with a small frown.

_**James: **I did learn one thing today though. That conversation I had with Drew, TK and May cemented my belief that Huntail is a tribe of pure evil._

- - -

The players could usually tell what type of challenge to expect just by looking at the apparatus set up on the challenge beach. Like the last immunity challenge, most of them figured out that the challenge would involve the players throwing darts to pop the balloons. But today, there was nothing. It was just Professor Birch standing in the sand, dressed in an oversized lab coat and a pair of ugly brown sandals. No hints about the upcoming challenge could be seen or found.

"Welcome to the reward challenge today." Professor Birch said, putting his hands behind his back. "Want to know what you're playing for?" He paused for a brief moment and started talking again without giving the players any time to respond back. "Look at the ocean."

The six curious players turned their bodies towards the sea.

"What are we supposed to look at?" May asked.

"Oh! There's a boat coming!" Takuya exclaimed.

A few excited speculations arose about their reward, but the discussions died down by the time the white motorboat actually arrived to shore. Some of the passengers on the boat, five in total, climbed out and began walking towards where the players were standing. Professor Birch grinned at the confused players.

"Oh my god!" May cried in joy. She was the first person to recognize these people walking towards them, all wearing friendly and wide smiles on their faces. "It's Mom! You brought Mom here!"

"This is amazing!" TK laughed. He could now see the face of his older brother amongst the crowd.

"Your family and friends are coming to this island for a visit. If you win the reward challenge today, they'll stay overnight with you in the camp." Professor Birch smiled. "So, let me introduce our five visitors."

The family members were instructed to stand at a certain distance away from the players, so no physical contact was possible between them. Most of the players looked pleased to see their family and friends, although there were some players who remained emotionless at the reunion, notably Rika.

"This is Shinya, Takuya's little brother." Professor Birch gestured towards a young boy who looked vaguely liked the Frontier. "Beside him is Caroline, the mother of May."

"Mom, I miss you so much!" May shouted. She followed her enthusiastic outburst with a laugh. May was afraid that if she didn't laugh at this situation, she might actually burst into tears (tears of joy, of course).

"Here is Rika's mother, Rumiko." Professor Birch continued his introductions, listing the relatives and friends one by one. "Matt Ishida, the brother of TK. And finally, there's Jessie, a good friend of James." He paused and turned towards Drew. Suddenly, the friendly smile on his face faded away. "I'm sorry, Drew. Your father was supposed to come, but he cancelled the trip in the last minute due to an emergency business meeting. But in consolation…" Professor Birch pulled out an envelope from his lab coat. "He did write you a letter from home, so that's what you'll be playing for today."

"He probably didn't write more than ten words on it." Drew shrugged his shoulders. "I don't want it."

There was clearly a more subdued atmosphere after this announcement. A few players tossed glances at Drew's direction, but he ignored them as he stared straight ahead. Professor Birch let this awkwardness continue for a few more seconds before he cleared his throat, turning everybody's attention back to him again.

"The objective of this reward challenge is simple. Only one of you will win a family visit overnight." Professor Birch explained. A few players let out mumbles of disgruntlement at the announcement, but the professor continued nonetheless. "The challenge is, you must decide as a group _who _should win this reward. It must be a unanimous decision by all of the players."

Professor Birch paused, casting a glance at the players' family and friends standing behind him.

"I'll give you one minute to discuss about the decision. If you can't come to a unanimous opinion, I'll roll a die and one of you will be eliminated in random. The eliminated person will no longer be in the running of the challenge and that person will not have a say in the group's decision. The process will continue until either one person remains, or the group of remaining players have come to a final decision." Professor Birch turned his gaze back to the players. "Does everybody understand the instructions?"

"Can we opt out of the challenge if we don't want to win?" Rika asked. Her mother looked slightly upset at the question, but she still maintained a gracious, camera-conscious smile on her face.

"No." Professor Birch replied. "If there are no other questions, let's get this challenge started." He pulled out a stopwatch from his lab jacket. "You have one minute to come up with a unanimous decision. Survivors ready? Go!"

"Okay, let's make this one short and painless. Who actually _wants _to win this reward?" Takuya asked, turning to his tribe members.

Four hands shot up in the air. Only Rika and Drew showed no interest in winning this reward challenge.

"That narrows down the field a little bit," said TK. He looked around at the players with a frustrated sigh. "Should we just do a game of rock, paper, scissors and determine the rest? Whoever wins, we all vote for that person to win the challenge?"

"I don't have a problem with that." James shrugged his shoulders.

Unfortunately, the game did not settle matters as easily as the players thought. The first three games ended in a tie, and just when they were about to begin the fourth game, Professor Birch interrupted with the announcement that time was up.

"Do you have a unanimous decision yet, players?" Professor Birch asked.

"No, professor." TK replied sadly.

"In that case, I'm going to roll a die. I'll number you alphabetically, so Drew is one, James is two, May is three, Rika is four, Takuya is five, and TK is six." Professor Birch explained. "If your number comes up, you're eliminated from the challenge."

Professor Birch tossed the die in the air. Everybody watched in anticipation as the die rolled on the ground for a few seconds until it landed on the number 'two'. May frowned, realizing that she was the first person eliminated from the challenge.

"May is out of the challenge." Professor Birch announced. He turned to the five remaining players in the challenge. "The rest of you, resume. You have another minute to discuss."

"Can I say something?" Takuya said, wearing a somewhat sheepish expression on his face. "I...I don't want to decide the outcome of this challenge base on a game of rock, paper, scissors. It's…it's too random. There's too much luck involved. I don't want to deny my brother the chance to visit the island just because I was unlucky…"

"What alternative do you suggest?" TK asked.

"We should make this decision base on who can gain the most out of this reward." Takuya continued. "I mean…take a look at my little brother here, he's young and he doesn't leave the house very often. He has never gone camping before, so I think this experience could really change the way he look at life, you know what I'm saying? It's a great opportunity to…to open up his mind a little. He can learn a lot from the island."

"Awww…" James made a sympathetic sound to go with Takuya's pitch. He was obviously touched. "That's sweet. That's very sweet, Takuya."

"Takuya has a good point. I wouldn't mind if uh…Shinya gets to go on the reward." TK shrugged his shoulders. "He's right. This could be a great experience for him."

"Thanks a lot, buddy." Takuya grinned. He turned towards the other players with a delighted expression on his face. "Is this okay with everyone? Is it okay if my little brother wins the visit so I could show him around the island?"

"Time is up." Professor Birch said, finding the perfect opening to enter into the group's conversation. "Have you all come to a unanimous decision this time?"

"I think we have, professor…" Takuya began, but his sentence was suddenly cut short by another player who decided to speak up at the most inappropriate time.

"I disagree." Drew interrupted. "I don't vote for Takuya to win this reward."

"What?" Takuya winced. He turned his body so he could face Drew directly. "But…why?"

Drew shrugged his shoulders.

"In that case, I'll roll a die again. If it lands on May's number again, she will get to decide who gets eliminated from the challenge." Professor Birch announced. He threw the die up in the air again. This time, it landed on the number four.

"Good. I'm out." Rika said, nodding to herself.

"The four remaining players can resume their discussion." Professor Birch motioned towards the four men. "You've another minute to talk things out."

"Drew, why did you disagree with the group?" Takuya asked instantly. He tried his best to maintain his composure, but it was obvious that he sounded very irritated. "Everyone else agreed with it!"

"Out of everyone here, I'd like to see TK win this challenge." Drew explained in a calm and collected manner, unaffected by Takuya's rather intimidating attitude. "Give it to the person who is the most genuine and honest."

"Well, _I _disagree." Takuya folded his arms across his chest. "Why should TK receive special treatment?"

"I just want to see him win it more than you." Drew shrugged his shoulders again.

"Bullshit." Takuya snapped angrily. "I deserve to win this challenge just as much as TK. You have no right to tell me that he's more _genuine _and more _honest _than me. And you have no right to imply that I'm not as good of a person as him. You don't even know me, Drew!"

"Look, I don't really _need _to win this reward, you guys…" TK muttered. "It's alright. Takuya can have it…"

"Ha! Once again, I'm made out to look like the bad person here." Takuya laughed, shaking his head in disbelief. "Because TK is just so selfless and noble for giving up the reward challenge, and I end up looking like the idiot who picks fights with everybody. This is exactly what you did to me at the last reward challenge. You two must be working together or something. Partners in crime."

"That's _not _what we're trying to do, Takuya." TK clarified very quickly.

"Yeah, don't accuse my brother like that!" Matt shouted defensively from the sidelines.

"Nobody believes your conspiracy theories." Drew added.

"Do you have a unanimous decision?" Professor Birch asked.

"No." Takuya spitted his words bitterly at the professor. Professor Birch nodded his head and rolled the die. It landed on six. TK was eliminated from the challenge.

"We're down to three players left. Same drill. You have one minute." Professor Birch announced.

"James. Let's choose James to win the reward." Drew said, continuing his anyone-but-Takuya campaign for this challenge.

"I'm not going to agree with anything you say, Drew." Takuya said, shaking his head. "Sorry, that's how it is. Let the die decide our fates."

The minute quickly passed by and obviously, the group didn't come up with a unanimous decision. Professor Birch rolled the die, landing on a five this time. Takuya was now eliminated from the challenge. Only James and Drew remained in the running. They exchanged glances with each other.

"I said this before. I don't want to read my father's letter." Drew said, facing the Team Rocket member with a soft smile. "Take it, James. It's yours."

"Thanks, Drew." James returned the friendly smile.

"And we have a unanimous opinion! James wins the reward challenge!" Professor Birch announced, looking a little relieved. "As your reward, your best friend Jessie will get to spend a night in the Clamperl tribe and experience the island life. As for the rest of you, the journey ends right here. Say your goodbyes, players." Professor Birch said, smiling sadly at the losers of the challenge. "You won't be seeing them until the challenge ends."

What followed was an emotional farewell between the players and their relatives. May hugged her mother, apologizing over and over again for not living up to her expectations (despite Caroline reassuring her daughter that she was very proud of her no matter what). In contrast, there was an awkward and colder exchange between Rika and her mother, both looking as if they didn't have anything to say. Finally, Rumiko decided to place a supportive hand on Rika's shoulder. Rika looked up at her and nodded her head, as if she understood what her mother meant. Actions spoke louder than words, especially in the Nonaka family.

"Jessie!" James squealed excitedly as he ran up to Jessie, who smirked proudly at her fellow Team Rocket co-worker.

"I'm _so _thrilled to be here. The heat, the bugs _and_ the five annoying twerps." Jessie whispered sarcastically into James' ear.

"The tribe is full of non-stop drama. You're going to fit right in." James whispered back with a small giggle.

- - -

As a former contestant on The Mole, Jessie was used to being in the presence of cameras. In fact, she thrived on the attention that was constantly thrown at her. She loved flaunting her voluptuous body around the cameras for all to enjoy. She had been looking forward to going on another reality television program, but unfortunately, she soon found a downside to her Survivor experience: she hated absolutely everything about it.

Within a few hours, Jessie was complaining about the dire situation of the messy campsite, complaining about the tasteless food, complaining about the uncomfortable shelter, complaining about the hot temperature, and of course, complaining about the annoying 'twerps'. During dinner time, Jessie took one look at her bowl of plain rice and decided that was the bottom line. She retreated inside the shelter without eating anything, wishing that the time to leave this island couldn't come soon enough for her. She absolutely _despised _Survivor.

"I never thought I'd see the day when you would crumble like this, Jessie." James asked with a teasing smile. He walked up to the shelter after he finished eating dinner with the rest of the tribe. Jessie shook her head furiously.

"Listen, I'm all for quick money schemes by going on reality shows. But this isn't worth it! This place is a hellhole, James!" Jessie screamed, tugging her fingers at her hair. "I was living in _luxury _when I played The Mole! This isn't a reward! This place sucks!"

"If I know you're going to be like this, I would've given the reward to somebody else…" James laughed.

For the next few minutes, Jessie continued complaining about each and every aspect of the tribe to her Team Rocket companion. As much as James enjoyed her company, he quickly tuned out Jessie's voice as he gazed around the campsite, observing the rest of the tribe. Most of the players finished dinner by now. They left the campfire area, perhaps to go to the washroom or do a confessional for the producers. The only people remaining by the fire were Drew and May, who were chatting amongst themselves.

_That's a weird combination. _James noted to himself. _But those two always had a weird relationship, even back in Huntail..._

_**May: **Drew didn't get a visitor at the reward challenge today. His father was apparently on some business meeting. Drew didn't make a big deal out of it or anything, but I can tell that he was really disappointed. You know, I…I've said a lot of bad things about Drew in the past, but this is the first time I began seeing him in a different light. I felt bad for him, I really do. And I know it sounds silly, but I think I felt some obligation to cheer him up or something. Nobody deserves to feel like that. Even Drew is human, after all._

"Here. Take this apple." May smiled, gently taking Drew's hand and placing an apple in it. He looked a little surprised and puzzled at her gift.

"What for?" Drew asked.

"I know it's not as cool as a rose, but I hope this will help cheer you up a little." May grinned at the Pokemon Coordinator.

"Oh. Thanks…I guess," said Drew. He couldn't hide the amused smile on his face as he glanced at the apple in his hand.

"I'm really sorry about what happened at the reward challenge." May sounded more serious now, as the friendly smile began to fade from her face.

"Don't apologize. My father always treated like this." Drew said.

"I know, but I…" May paused, but she failed to find the right words to articulate her thoughts. "I don't know. I see the way that Rika and her mom interacted and it was…so cold and distant. I realized that I'm really lucky to have a family who loves me so much."

"Well, you don't have to rub it in," muttered Drew.

"I'm sorry!" May smacked her forehead. "I didn't mean it like that! Oh, I…I should just stop talking before I make a bigger idiot out of myself."

"It's alright." Drew said. He looked hesitant before he added, "I know what you mean."

"For what it's worth, I think you're kind of an okay guy." May smiled at him, placing an arm on his shoulder. "You're not without your faults, but you tend to grow on people over time. Like a fungus."

"I'm like a fungus?" Drew laughed. He pulled a mock pout on his face. "That's it?"

"You weren't expecting me to start praising you, right?" May giggled, playfully punching Drew in the shoulder. "I wouldn't go that far!"

_**Drew: **I have another skeleton in my closet. I planned ahead. I specifically instructed my friends and family to not come for the family reward challenge. Let me clarify that I've an excellent relationship with my father, but this is all part of my strategy. I want people to feel bad for me. I want them to feel sorry for the guy whose daddy didn't love him. I know I can use this to my advantage when I'm facing the jury._

Drew nodded his head to his own words. As usual, he had a smug sneer plastered on his face. He looked seemingly pleased with himself.

_**Drew: **I'm pleased to say that at least May believed me. She has always been a very naïve and trusting person. I know it's wrong to mislead her like this. And I know I shouldn't toy with her emotions like this. And I know every single player is going to hate me after the show. But I'm not going to lose sleep over it. I'm here to win the game, whatever it takes. In the end, May is just a stepping stone for me to get my million dollars._

"Well, for what it's worth, I think you're kind of an okay girl too." Drew nodded his head. A sly smirk spread across his face as he added, "But you could definitely work on your coordinator skills in Pokemon contests."

"Hey!" May gasped. She punched him again in the shoulder, using a little more force this time. "But you know what, Drew? Dewford Island gave me a lot of inspirations for my contests. I have a gazillion new ideas that I want to try out! I can't wait until I go back to coordinating!"

"Ah, so I see I wasn't the only one who thought like that." Drew smiled.

"I'm surrounded by beautiful Pokemon every day, Drew! It's impossible not to think about the contests!" May rubbed her hands together and giggled. "Oh, that reminds me…I created a new dance ritual for my next contest that I know the judges would _love_. Want me to show you?"

"Sure." Drew shrugged his shoulders casually.

"Stand up." May said, taking Drew's hand and pulling him out of his seat. He raised an eyebrow in surprise."Yeah, stand up!"

"What are you doing?" Drew asked.

"Well, I can't perform alone! I need a dance partner, right? Pretend you're one of my Pokemon." May rubbed her chin. "Let's see, you can be Squirtle."

"This is embarrassing." Drew rolled his eyes. "I'm not going to dance with you…"

"The problem with you is that you don't know how to have fun." May took Drew's hand and giggled girlishly. "Come on! I need to practice for my contests!"

"You…you're so…" Drew shook his head, but he was already grinning from ear to ear.

May took Drew's hands and began engineering his body forward and backward in small steps, creating a slow rhythm between the pair. She twirled Drew around for a spin. He stumbled a little, but May managed to catch him so that he doesn't fall on the ground. As they continued dancing, a few tribe members passed by, casting them odd glances at what they were doing. Drew tried looking away, but he couldn't help but laugh at the ridiculous situation that he was in.

"I can't believe you forced me to do something stupid like this." Drew laughed.

"You know, this is the first time I hear you laugh like this." May leaned over, whispering into Drew's ear. "You should do it more often. It sounds really nice!"

"Speak louder. What did you say?" Drew asked with a bemused expression.

"Never mind." May shook her head and giggled. "Just keep dancing."

_**James: **I think I'm the only person here who realizes what a threat May is in this game. She's friendly, she's smart, and she's soooooo sneaky! One thing I noticed about May is that she likes to play dumb, so a lot of people underestimate her as a player. And that's going to be their undoing, not mine. _

"That twerp is working it." Jessie whispered. She stopped her complaining about camp life temporarily as she spied on the pair of Coordinators from inside the shelter. "She has him totally in her control." She paused as a smirk crept across her face. "He thinks he's playing her, but it's really the other way around."

"You think so, Jessie?" James asked in an equally soft voice.

"She is a good looking girl, somewhat." Jessie said, scanning May's slender body up and down with her alert eyes. "And he's just like most guys. He's thinking with his pants instead of his head."

"I thought Drew is smarter than that…" James muttered.

"He's smart, I'll give him that." Jessie grinned. "But she's smarter. Way smarter."

Jessie paused as she watched May place one of Drew's hands on her left shoulder, the other hand on her waist.

"Oh yeah, that girl knows exactly what she's doing."

- - -

**DAY 32**

_Yes._

One syllable, three letters. It was such an easy word to say, yet it carried so many imminent troubles and burdening consequences. In the game of Survivor, only the brave or the stupid would throw that word freely around. James was neither type of those people, which was why he had such a hard time accepting Drew's proposal. _Yes, I'll take your deal. Yes, I don't mind betraying Takuya and Rika. Yes, yes, yes, I'll do it! _But no, he couldn't say those words. The little voice from his conscience withheld James from uttering that one simple word that could affect his game forever.

But his conscience alone was not enough to save James from the temptation ahead of him. Yesterday, the crafty Coordinator threatened James that he'd lose three potential jury votes if he didn't vote with Huntail. The Team Rocket member was familiar with the techniques of blackmailing and intimidation, but it felt like a different story to be on the receiving end of the same tricks he practiced for a living. It was highly doubtful that anybody from Huntail would vote for him to win regardless, although the cautious Team Rocket member didn't want to close down that possibility, no matter how unlikely it might seem.

_**James: **I've been thinking a lot about the final vote. I…uh, I don't now how I'm going to get there. And even if I make it in the Final Two, I don't know how I'm going to win. I overcame a lot of odds, especially at the beginning, and I think I've played a good game considering my situation. I played this game the only way I know how._

He paused and thought over his words carefully in his head.

_**James: **But nobody here respects me as a player. That's the problem. If I make it to the end, they'd think I rode on coattails, I followed people, and I let everyone push me around. If I don't take risks and make a…a big gutsy move, nobody is going to vote for me to win. These people don't like me as it is already. I need to do whatever it takes to secure jury votes – not lose even more of them._

James was awake. He was not feeling the usual motivation to wake up and get his morning started, so he lied lazily inside the shelter, hoping that nobody would bother him. Next to him was his feisty friend Jessie, who was still sleeping. Everybody else had already left the shelter. Or at least that was what James thought until he heard the noise of rapid footsteps approaching the pair of Team Rocket members.

The unexpected visitor was Takuya. He poked his head inside the shelter and grinned widely at James. From where the Team Rocket member was lying, he could only see a portion of Takuya's boyish face.

"Hey James, do you know where I put my surfboard?" Takuya asked hastily.

"Oh…" James mumbled as he got up from his back. He pointed his finger at a distant birch tree behind Takuya. "Umm, I think it's over there."

Takuya turned around and stared at the indicated tree. He could barely make out the shape of his black and orange surfboard leaning against the tree trunk. Nodding his head in satisfaction, Takuya's grin grew wider. He patted James on the back as a token of gratitude.

"Thanks a lot, buddy! You're the best!" Takuya laughed. He began trotting towards the birch tree to grab his surfboard.

"Where are you going?" James asked.

"I'm going to save our asses!" Takuya shouted in reply. "See ya!"

- - -

Rika was not good at making small talk. Actually, she was not good at making _any _type of talk, which was why she felt so embarrassed and uncomfortable right now. Here she stood by the river, debating with May about the whereabouts of her supposedly missing buff. Rika knew that it was tucked in the back pocket of her pants, but that was a fact May was blissfully unaware about. This was just part of the scheme that she and Takuya devised earlier this morning. Rika needed to keep May busy with a trivial distraction until Takuya's arrival.

"I'm sorry, but…" May frowned as she searched her hands through her pockets for the second time. "I don't think I have your buff. Are you sure you haven't misplaced it somewhere?"

"Somebody must've taken it." Rika replied coldly. She looked over May's shoulder and saw Takuya running towards the two women. He grinned and waved energetically at Rika. She gave a small nod to indicate that she caught his message.

"I'm sorry, Rika. I'd love to help you search for your buff," said May. "But I promised TK and Drew that I'll go fishing with them today, and I'm already running late."

"I'll look for it myself." Rika grunted.

After another quick apology, May began walking away from the icy Tamer. She took no more than five steps before she felt a gentle tap on her right shoulder. May cringed as she slowly turned around, expecting the person behind her to be Rika. Instead, it turned out to be a grinning Takuya, who held an orange and black surfboard in his hands.

"Good morning, stranger." May's lips curled into an instant smile when she saw the athletic Frontier. She carried a noticeably more relaxed and casual attitude now than a few seconds ago during her conversation with Rika.

"Good morning, sunshine." Takuya said as his eyes scanned May's body. She was dressed in a red bikini top and a pair of baggy pink shorts. "You look great as always."

"Oh, stop it." May laughed, looking a little embarrassed. "I haven't showered for over a month. I know I look horrible."

"Anyway, what's up? Are you going fishing again?" Takuya asked.

"Yeah," May nodded. "I have to go. Drew and TK are probably waiting for me by the boat."

"Hey, do you mind if I join you guys today?" Takuya grinned. "I can help catch a few fish or something."

May looked hesitant for a brief second, which Takuya interpreted as a sign of reluctance. However, she made a quick recovery and flashed a genuine smile at the Frontier.

"Sure." May shrugged her shoulders. "I don't see the harm in that!"

"Awesome!" Takuya chuckled. "Just let me just take off my shirt first. I don't want to get it wet."

He stripped off his navy blue t-shirt and tossed it aside on the ground. Clad in only a pair of swim trunks, it was his tanned and slender body that caught her eyes the most. Takuya might be skinny, but all the time he spent outdoors has rewarded him with several toned muscles that looked appealing on his body regardless. May let her gaze linger on his body for a couple of seconds longer before she turned away. She then walked straight ahead in the direction of the motorboat, with her smile noticeably wider than before.

_**Rika: **The Huntail tribe goes into the motorboat and fishigize every morning. Takuya and I decided that it's time to put a stop to their nonsense._

She had a stern expression on her face.

_**Rika: **Takuya thinks he could convince May to switch her vote, since she's the weakest link in that alliance. Right now, he's trying to infiltrate Huntail and stir up as much shit as possible. He'll create doubt between the three of them as part of the divide and conquer strategy. Personally, I don't think it's going to work. It's too little, too late._

She paused as she folded her arms across her chest.

_**Rika: **But if anyone can change this game around, it'd be him. Takuya has surprised me before, so let's just see what happens._

Takuya's uninvited addition to the fishing party was not met with a positive reception from TK and Drew. Neither of them were fans of the abrasive Frontier. TK tried hard to conceal his discontentment, but his shifty body movements and lack of eye contact with Takuya indicated that the Frontier was not welcomed on the boat. Drew managed to keep a straight face, but he did occasionally throw a few angry glares at an oblivious May.

"You know that we're going to be fishing, right?" Drew asked snootily. "We aren't playing around, Takuya."

"I know, I know." Takuya replied. "That's why I'm here!"

"Then why are you carrying your surfboard?" TK asked, raising an eyebrow.

"We don't have to work all the time. We can have a little fun afterwards, right?" Takuya grinned. He nudged May in the shoulder. "Am I right?"

"Yeah...I think we could take a small break at Shipwreck Island after we're done." May giggled.

"But we don't have room for a surfboard in our boat." TK argued.

"Dude, just chill out! We have plenty of room." Takuya laughed, waving his hand in dismissal. "It might be a little crammed, but we can fit everything in there."

TK bit his lips and chose not to push the issue any further. He'd love nothing more than to kick Takuya out of the boat, but he could only mumble words of consent. He was not here to seek another confrontation with the Frontier. If there was one lesson Survivor has taught TK, he knew that he had to choose his battles.

The fishing trip was relatively uneventful. Nearly two hours passed by without them getting a single nibble. Takuya kept the group occupied with his countless stories and bad jokes. May was thoroughly entertained by the Frontier, but a bored TK tuned out after the first five minutes and drifted into a prolonged daydream. Drew would sometimes contribute to the conversation by adding a few snide and sarcastic remarks, but Takuya remained oblivious throughout all of his comments.

With the temperature growing high and the moodiness growing even higher, the group decided to retreat and call it a day. As requested by May, they navigated to Shipwreck Island to enjoy some much needed relaxation. When they arrived, Takuya offered May a surfboarding lesson, which she eagerly accepted. Meanwhile, Drew and TK found a shady area where they sat down and chat.

"This feels nice, I guess." TK said as he lied down on the sand. "It's like we have a day off from working."

"Yeah, we can restore some of our energy for tomorrow's immunity challenge." Drew added, nodding his head.

"It's not like I have a chance of winning immunity," joked TK.

"Hey, I suck at these challenges as much as you do. I haven't won a single immunity challenge since the merge." Drew grinned cheekily at the blonde. "And guess what? I'm still here!"

"But Huntail won nearly every challenge before the merge." TK smiled faintly at the Coordinator. "Now, it's the exact opposite. Gorebyss is the challenge powerhouse!"

"Brock must've placed a curse on us when he got voted off." Drew chuckled.

TK laughed. He stared briefly at Takuya, who was teaching May the basics of surfboarding. His gaze soon returned back to Drew's face.

"I think it's because Takuya is an excellent athlete. He came really close to winning in almost all of the challenges," said TK. "We won't win anything with him around."

"That's why we need to get rid of him next." Drew muttered.

"Yeah, we discussed about this before." TK nodded his head.

The two men fell into a lapse of silence as they watched Takuya and May's surfboarding lesson in process. He was teaching her how to stand on a surfboard on the beach. May tried stepping on the surfboard but she wobbled. Takuya quickly rushed to her side and held May by her hips, aiding her in maintaining a steady balance.

"I can't do this!" May giggled in frustration. "It's so hard!"

"It's going to get even harder when you're in the water." Takuya said. He smiled encouragingly at the Pokemon Coordinator. "C'mon, you can do it! Imagine you're facing a tidal wave! Work those hips!"

Drew narrowed his eyes suspiciously at the two of them. He definitely didn't like what he was seeing.

"He's flirting with her," said TK in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Takuya will do anything to win a vote." Drew smirked. "He's scum."

"Do you think she'll stay loyal to us?" TK asked.

"I don't trust May. She's very easily persuaded." Drew replied. His smirk was transforming into an unimpressed frown. "That's why I want James to vote with us, so Takuya will be guaranteed to go."

"I've faith in her. I think she'll do the right thing." TK said, smiling faintly.

"Either way, she's expendable." Drew said. "If she betrays us, we'll just her with James or Rika."

_**TK: **It was very obvious why Takuya went fishing with us today. I just hope May is smart enough to see through his transparent ploy._

"So, I grab my hands around the rails, right?" May asked. "And then, when I'm on the water, I…"

"You've something in your hair." Takuya interrupted. He brought his face closer to May's and brushed a strand of hair away from her cheek.

"Oh, thanks." May said, blushing.

"Vote with your heart." Takuya leaned forward and whispered into May's ear.

"What?" May muttered, although it was more of a shocked outburst than an actual question.

"TK and Drew are using you. If you vote me out, you'll do their dirty work." Takuya continued whispering. "I'll vote them out. Keep me around. Vote with us."

"Takuya, I'm…" May began, but she was silenced as Takuya brought his index finger to May's lips.

"Shh…don't speak. Just think." Takuya whispered. "Think with your heart. Think what's best for you in this game, not what's best for Drew and TK."

May gulped nervously. She glanced over at TK and Drew, who were both staring at their direction. Even from a distance, she could identify the smug smirk on Drew's face.

"C'mon, let's go!" Takuya exclaimed energetically. May was taken back by the sudden shift in his voice and demeanour, almost as if what he had just said to her was a figment of May's imagination. Takuya didn't give her much time to respond as he grabbed her hand and dragged May to the ocean. "It's surfboarding time!"

"But I'm not ready yet!" May protested.

"Oh, you better be!" Takuya laughed.

He flashed a boyish, charming grin at her. She smiled back, looking a little confused, but content regardless. Suddenly, he splashed a handful of water to her face and snickered. May gasped and splashed him back. Their harmless horseplay soon evolved into even more playful frolicking in the water. The surfboarding lesson was forgotten and it was now just two friends enjoying the company of each other. May laughed like she had never laughed before. She was having so much fun, arguably the _most _fun since she arrived on this island.

She felt like she was bursting with joy, yet she also felt a flicker of sadness inside her conscience.

Because at this moment, her heart was telling her that she must vote out Takuya Kanabara.

- - -

Jessie spent less than a day living on Dewford Island, but she couldn't stop whining about _when _she gets to leave the island. The living conditions weren't that horribly different from her everyday life, so James figured that his Team Rocket companion was complaining for the sake of complaining. All of his tribe members were fed up with Jessie, even though James insisted everyone to be more tolerant of her friend. Nevertheless, he was a little relieved when it was finally time for Jessie's departure. Survivor was a game clearly out of Jessie's element.

"Jessie, _why_ did you wear high heels when you know you'd be living on an island?" James clicked his tongue in disapproval.

"One, I needed to look fabulous in front of the cameras." Jessie pouted as she held up two fingers. "And two, I didn't know you'd actually win the challenge! I thought you knew me well enough that this is the last place I want to be in!"

"But I miss you and Meowth…" James muttered meekly. "I miss Team Rocket."

"See, now you made me feel like a heartless bitch." Jessie grimaced. She sighed dramatically and wiped her eyes. "I miss you too, and Meowth sends his love. Damn it, I promised myself I won't cry when I saw you."

"Oh, Jessie…" James squealed as the two Team Rocket friends embraced in a hug.

_**James: **Seeing Jessie reminded me why I came to play Survivor. I need to win the million dollars for Team Rocket. For my friends, for Jessie, for Meowth, and for all the Pokemon I've left in their care. I have to win it for them!_

James sniffled a little. He smiled poignantly at the cameras.

_**James: **The three of us have lived a rough life. If I could win this money, I know it'll change our lives forever. We won't have to live life in poverty anymore. We won't have to live life as criminals anymore. We can just live happily ever after. Or that's what I'd like to believe._

There was a boat waiting to pick up Jessie at the end of the river. As the two Team Rocket members made this walk, they crossed by Rika, who was leaning against a tree and carving something in her torch with a rock. She looked up, wearing an emotionless expression on her face.

"What are you carving, Rika?" James asked curiously as he approached the icy Tamer.

"It's my calendar." Rika grunted. "I need to count down the days until I get to leave this hellhole."

Her response was so dry and solemn that it made James chuckle out loud. Rika looked up and eyed the pair of Team Rocket members.

"Is your friend leaving?" Rika asked.

"Yeah, we're just heading to the boat." James replied with a nod. "It's been fun, but Jessie would really like to go home.

"Correction…it hasn't been fun at all." Jessie wagged her finger in his face. "And since we're on the topic of my departure, where the hell are all the people? Is nobody going to send me off?"

"Do you want me to come?" Rika asked.

"No, I'd rather not." Jessie replied pompously. "If it was the cute blonde guy, then the answer would be hell yes. But just you? It's not worth it. Just keep carving your calendar or whatever the hell you're doing."

"Suit yourself." Rika muttered, returning her attention back to her torch.

"Jessie!" James frowned. His tone sounded like he was giving a lecture. "Don't be so rude to Rika!"

"Who cares? She looks like a bitch anyway." Jessie rolled her eyes.

"At least I don't act like one," replied Rika without missing a beat. Her gaze was still fixated on her torch.

"How dare you-" Jessie gasped, raising her fist in an intimidating manner. Rika did not flinch at all.

"Ladies, please! Please don't argue!" James shouted as he pulled Jessie away from Rika. "Do it for me, please? Pretty please?"

Jessie glared angrily at Rika for a few seconds before she scoffed and walked off. James smiled uncomfortably at Rika before he ran after his Team Rocket companion.

_**Rika: **Jessie is like an uglier reincarnation of Cassidy. Both annoyed the shit out of me._

James finally caught up to Jessie, who was still looking very offended by Rika's remark. James sighed and gently patted Jessie's shoulder to comfort her.

"I know you're upset, Jessie, and you have every reason to be." James frowned. "But you can't speak like that to my friends."

"Whose side are you on?" Jessie gasped in shock.

"Well, you started it…" James muttered.

"I'm…I'm speechless!" Jessie cried out in an undignified voice. "Just _speechless_!"

"I know that's not what you want to hear." James said meekly. "But Rika is in my alliance and I don't want you to piss her off."

"That sourpuss twerp is your ally?" Jessie rolled her eyes. She grabbed James by his shoulders and shook him. "Here's my word of advice before I leave. Abandon that alliance immediately!"

"I get along with Rika! She's very nice to me, even if it doesn't seem that way." James argued.

"No, I'm being serious. I don't want you to be in an alliance with her." Jessie said, tightening her grip on James' shoulders. "I've observed the tribe dynamics. And trust me in this…you have better options than to be in an alliance with _her_."

"Why…why do you say that?" James asked.

"I've seen the way she interacted with that…that skinny twerp. The one who wears the goggles," said Jessie. "I can tell right away that those two are in cahoots together. They're very, very close." She paused and took a deep breath. "And if you're in an alliance with those two, you're the third wheel! If you make it to the Final Three, they'll take each other into the finals over you!"

"I know that…" James mumbled.

"You know that and you're still with them?" Jessie exclaimed. She threw her arms up in the air out of frustration. "Third place isn't good enough, James! Third place won't get you a million bucks!"

"What do you think I should do?" James asked.

"Out of everyone here, which of the twerps can you beat in the Final Two?" Jessie asked impatiently.

"I…I don't know. Drew, I guess." James replied in a non-committed manner. "I don't have a problem with him, but there seems to be some people who don't like his attitude."

"Good. That's the one you're going to bring to the end." Jessie smiled slyly at James. "Protect him from the vote. Join in an alliance with him. You know what to do. Do whatever you can to make sure that you two are in the finals together."

James swallowed. He looked very nervous as he nodded his head in response.

"You better bring home that million dollars, James." She paused and then, she clarified, "_My _million dollars." She grinned and slapped her friend's back. "No pressure!"

"Ha…" James sighed.

_**James: **I'm sooooo confused. Drew is telling me to do this, and Jessie is telling me to do this. It seems like everyone is telling me to do things that I don't want to do! I don't want to vote out Takuya and Rika. They're the only people who respected me throughout this entire game. And if I vote them out, I'll have no friends left._

He buried his head into his knees.

_**James: **I'll be all by myself…again._

- - -

They finally got rid of Takuya.

The four fishermen returned to camp after a soothing expedition at Shipwreck Island. Takuya decided to help James wash the dishes, which gave the Huntail trio some private time together to chat as a group. They hid inside the forest, distancing themselves away from the other tribe members as far as possible.

"That man couldn't leave soon enough." Drew smirked conceitedly. "I was afraid that I'd lose brain cells if I spent any more time with the annoying buffoon."

"Yeah, he drives me nuts too." TK laughed.

"I mean, that idiot couldn't keep his mouth shut for more than five seconds." Drew rolled his eyes. A giddy snigger escaped from his throat. "He thinks he's some _magical _storyteller. But I was bored to tears by all his bluffing and boasting."

"I didn't laugh at a single joke he told," added TK with a nod and a wide grin.

"I was laughing," Drew admitted. "I was laughing at how big of a douche he made himself look like. He…he thinks he's the life of the party! But he's not. He's really not."

"The worst part must be how we're stuck in a boat with him." TK grinned like a schoolboy who just told his friend a naughty joke. "There was nowhere to escape his voice."

Drew and TK exchanged a hearty laugh together. May smiled politely at the two men, but she remained uncharacteristically quiet at this moment. She was listening to their conversation, but not contributing anything of input.

"I hate to say this, but..." TK paused as a sheepish smile crawled across his face. "I almost wanted to jump off the boat."

"You're too nice. I wanted to push _him _off the boat and spare us all," sniggered Drew.

"How many times have he repeated that soccer story?" TK shook his head and gave a small chuckle. "He thought he was some national hero just because he saved a goal!"

"It's so sad. Takuya is one sad human being." Drew laughed.

_**May: **Drew and TK are ripping apart Takuya again. In their eyes, Takuya can do no right. I mean…they pick apart all the flaws that Takuya has, exaggerate them, and then make fun of him with no mercy. Of course, they'd never say any of those things to Takuya's face. They wait until he leaves and then they'll mock him like little…little boys. Little cowardly boys._

She paused and glanced uncomfortably at the camera. She gave a small, soft sigh before continuing.

_**May: **I personally enjoyed listening to Takuya's stories. I thought…I thought he was just making conversation. But it seems like Drew and TK were searching for…fodder so that they could find more reasons to hate Takuya. At least Takuya tried to be friendly, which was more than what those two guys ever did for him._

May sighed again.

_**May: **Takuya is a really good friend of mine. And even if he wasn't my friend, I'd still be angry at some of the things they say about him behind his back. I mean…serious, guys, just…just grow up._

"I've a theory that Takuya scared away all the fish today." Drew flashed a cheeky grin at the handsome blonde next to him. TK grinned back.

"Why's that?" TK asked, although he could guess half of the answer instantly in his head.

"If his irritating voice could grate on me so much that I want to rip my ears off, imagine how the poor fishes feel." Drew snickered. "That's why we couldn't catch anything!"

"Well, you can't blame _that _on Takuya." TK chuckled softly. "It's…it's just one of those days."

"But still, that doesn't hide the fact that he's obnoxious as hell!" Drew sneered.

"I think he can be a little lessfull of himself, that's for sure." TK nodded his head in agreement.

"His mom probably didn't hug him when he was a kid." Drew grinned. "He must be the unloved child abandoned at the corner of his bedroom."

May stirred a little after hearing that malicious remark. Drew glared at the female Coordinator for a few seconds before he turned his attention back to TK.

"Can you guys…" May paused and cleared her throat. "Can you guys please stop talking about Takuya like that?"

"Come on, May." Drew frowned. "We're just having a little fun."

"But it's fun at Takuya's expense and I don't really like that." May replied hesitantly. "If you have so…so many problems with Takuya, why don't you actually tell him?"

"Calm down." Drew rolled his eyes. "We're just having a friendly discussion about Takuya. It's nothing personal."

"May be we should stop." TK interjected. His smile looked slightly more subdued than before. There was some hints of remorse visible on his handsome face. "I do feel a little bad saying all these things about him." He glanced at May and smiled earnestly. "I'm sorry if I made you upset, May."

_**May: **I don't know if it's Drew's strategy to vilify Takuya into the bad guy, but he really crosses the line with his catty remarks. TK doesn't say that much, but he laughs with Drew and that encourages him, which is just nearly as bad. But it's Drew who I have a beef with. If you don't have anything nice to say, then don't say anything!_

"We have a right to vent," said Drew. He sounded a little disappointed at the blonde backing out of the discussion just when it was starting to get heated. "Takuya can't expect to be liked if he gets into arguments with everybody."

"Okay, that's your opinion. But why don't you say this to Takuya in person, Drew?" May asked, narrowing her eyes at the Pokemon Coordinator. "Man to man. You two can talk it out."

"I don't see any reason why I'd need to do that." Drew replied. He folded his arms across his chest, which May interpreted as a defense mechanism.

"I think you're just a coward," said May. "At least Takuya is _brave _enough to say these things to your face."

"That's why nobody likes him. He's an argumentative idiot." Drew rolled his eyes.

"Well, I like him better than you," said May. She pressed her lips together and shrugged. "How about that?"

"I couldn't give a damn." Drew smirked.

"I know it's biting at your ego." May replied sternly. She paused as a small, sheepish smile spread across her face. "Just a little."

And then, May shrugged her shoulders and turned around. She walked away from the two men, feeling satisfied with herself for taking a stance. Drew was left in a rare moment of speechlessness as he watched May's body melt into the forest. For once, the sarcastic Coordinator didn't have a single wisecrack to say.

- - -

**DAY 33**

It was tribal council tonight. If May had her way, Takuya Kanabara would not be the one going home.

Originally, it was decided amongst the Huntail alliance that they would all vote out Takuya. There were a number of factors that contributed to this conclusion. The most vocal person behind his elimination was Drew, who always wanted the Frontier gone due to his unpredictability. Takuya was a spontaneous person who made impulsive (and often reckless) decisions. This made him an uncontrollable wildcard in the game and also a dangerous player who could undermine Drew's strategy. Not to mention that Takuya could be _very _charming and suave when he wanted to be. Drew saw the Frontier at work yesterday when he was schmoozing May on the island. Drew might have underestimated him at first, but if there was anybody who can rival the Coordinator in manipulation and deception, it was Takuya.

In TK's case, his reason of wanting Takuya gone was slightly more personal. The two men never met eye to eye, but the tension between them escalated recently. Takuya was abrasive and confrontational, which often conflicted with TK's polite and peaceful nature. After their unpleasant breakout at the picnic, it was destined that the two of them would never be friends. TK was also growing concerned over Takuya's athleticism. The young and fit Frontier came close to victories at almost every physical challenge. His competitiveness and survival instincts will rise tenfold if Takuya sensed that he was in danger. TK would not be surprised if the Frontier broke into an unstoppable streak at the next four immunity challenges.

As for May, she was just afraid that she'd be in danger if she was seen in association with Takuya too much. May's friendship with Takuya was putting an unnecessary target on her back. If TK and Drew feel that she was being disloyal to the alliance, they could always replace her with James or Rika. It doesn't help that Takuya's past actions indicated he was far from a trustworthy player, which eliminated the possibility of May teaming up with Gorebyss. It was best if she obeyed her Huntail alliance and vote out the common enemy. After all, she had no other choice.

Or does she?

_**May: **I don't want Takuya to leave the game. I've thought a lot about it last night and I think that's the right move. Drew and TK will continue to go after him if he stays in the game, right? So…I'd be safe for another tribal council. It's a strategy that worked for me before. If it ain't broke, don't fix it!_

May laughed nervously at the cameras. She scratched her head and shrugged her shoulders.

_**May: **Takuya is not only the perfect shield, but…but I feel bad for him. I think he got a raw deal. He came into the merge outnumbered and nobody ever gave him a chance to redeem himself. Drew and TK have been badmouthing Takuya since the first day, simply because…because Takuya made a bad first impression. It just feels wrong. Hopefully, those two boys will get their comeuppance if Takuya stays in the game. And kick their butts! _

She gave a small girlish giggle before finishing her confessional. She raised her fist triumphantly in the air.

_**May: **Oh my god, I can't wait to see their faces when they find out that I'm not voting him out. That'll show them. That'll really show them!_

Just before the immunity challenge, the Huntail trio had a small powwow to plan out their strategy for the upcoming challenge (also known as the "Don't Let Takuya Win" Operation). They were sitting inside the motorboat, happily secluded away from the other half of the tribe. After moments of hesitation, May finally decided that it was the right time to make her announcement to TK and Drew.

"I'm not voting out Takuya tonight." May declared in a firm and clear voice. "I made up my mind."

Drew dropped his mouth open in surprise. He could not believe what he just heard. He glanced over at TK, who shared an equally befuddled expression on his handsome face. Drew turned his attention back to May and narrowed his eyes at her.

"What are you doing?" Drew asked.

"What's going on, May?" TK added, sounding worried. "I thought we had a plan!"

"I…I just don't want Takuya to leave," answered May.

"_Why _are you doing this?" Drew rephrased his question. There was a mixture of anger and panic in his tone of voice. "What's your motive?"

"I think we should target Rika instead." May explained. She tried to act as nonchalant as possible, although there was a hint of anxiety in her shaky voice.

"But she's not a threat!" TK protested. He bit his lips nervously. "I mean…she's not as big of a threat as Takuya is." He paused and shook his head in a very eager manner. "Takuya has to go. It can't wait."

"I…I made up my mind." May said, using a sterner tone of voice to address the two men. "I'm not going to vote out Takuya!"

"You have to." Drew retorted.

"I'll vote out Rika tonight, whether you like it or not." May paused and glared at the two men. "If you guys don't…don't vote her out, I'll go to Gorebyss and I…I'll tell them about your plans." She made another lengthy pause before continuing. "I'll even vote with them tonight. The four of us will have the majority at tribal council."

"You wouldn't dare." Drew rolled his eyes in ridicule. "That's game suicide. You know you can't keep Gorebyss intact any longer."

"It's our last chance to break them up!" TK nodded his head.

"If James is willing to flip now, I'm sure he would flip again at the Final Five," said May.

"But if you do that, none of us will win the million dollars." Drew warned.

"I…I don't care." May glared angrily at the Pokemon Coordinator beside her. "Anyway, none…none of this will happen if you guys agree to vote Rika out!"

Drew mumbled something under his breath that sounded like a curse word. TK flashed a concerned glance at the Pokemon Coordinator. While Drew was doing slightly better at keeping his composure than TK, it was obvious that both men felt discomforted by May's sudden burst of stubbornness. She acted unlike the naïve and agreeable girl that they used to know. May was different today. She looked fierce. She acted independent. She was fighting for what _she _believed in. She was finally taking her stance against the men.

_**Drew: **May is defying what's best for our group. We've discussed about voting out Takuya for nearly a week, but all of a sudden, she wants to get rid of Rika instead. It's unbelievable. May be Takuya slipped something into her breakfast, I don't know. What I do know is that May has a lot of power over TK and me, and if we don't follow her orders, she'll throw the entire game to Gorebyss. We'll all go down together. Damn._

Drew ran his fingers through his emerald green hair. He then stared somberly at the cameras.

_**Drew: **I think she has a plan to take Takuya to the Final Two. She knows she can win against him in the finals. I've noticed it for a while too. She's befriending everyone, staying under the radar, letting TK and I do all the dirty work…that girl is setting herself up for a good position in the endgame. Unfortunately, it's all for naught because May isn't going anywhere near the finals. Not on my watch._

"Fine. You win this one," grunted Drew, looking very displeased. He reluctantly nodded his head at the girly Coordinator. "I'll vote out Rika. You're making the biggest mistake in the game, but I'll vote out Rika."

"Me too." TK replied quietly.

"Thanks, guys. I really appreciate it." May forced a weak smile at the two men. They looked away from her. "I know you'd understand."

"What if Rika wins immunity?" Drew asked, raising an eyebrow. His sharp mind quickly found a loophole in May's plan. "Are we going to vote out Takuya then?"

"Yeah, I guess..." May nodded her head. "But only if Rika wins immunity…"

Drew and TK exchanged grim glances with each other. Five minutes ago, it was almost certain that Takuya would be going home tonight. But certainty could never be guaranteed in Survivor. The game was shaken up again, and all it took was one person who changed her mind on a whim. So once again, Takuya narrowly escaped meeting the ugly end of the chopping block. Instead, it was his closest ally who will take the fall.

Right now, winning immunity seemed like it was the only thing that could unseal Rika's fate in the game.

- - -

Rika Nonaka was blissfully unaware of the latest developments in her tribe. She figured that somebody from Gorebyss would walk the plank this evening, but she didn't know exactly who. However, there was a general unspoken consensus around camp that Takuya was the primary target. Even the Frontier himself realized that he had a gigantic target on his back, which was why he fought extra hard to campaign in the last couple of days. Seeing her ally in danger didn't comfort Rika at all, especially since the cautious Tamer always kept her guard up. Rika would not fall in a false sense of security just because Takuya appeared as a larger threat than her. As always, Rika knew the only thing that could provide her with safety was the immunity necklace, which she was determined to win.

"Welcome to the immunity challenge, players." Professor Birch smiled at the six Clamperl players. "First things first, I need that immunity necklace back, Takuya."

Nodding his head, the Frontier tossed his necklace to Professor Birch. The agile professor caught it with ease.

"Immunity is back up for grabs!" Professor Birch announced. He made a small pause as he rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "Your challenge today will take place on top of the water. Please take a look at what we've set up on the beach."

The players turned around to stare at the sea. They could see a wooden plank on the sand that stretched out to the sea. The end of the plank was attached to a floating platform on the water. There was a small candle placed on the floating platform.

"Each of you will start the challenge by carrying an unlit torch with your hand. Your objective is to cross the balancing beam, arrive on the floating platform, light your torch with the candle, and then come back with your torch lit." Professor Birch explained. "This is a timed challenge, so the person who finishes this task the fastest will win immunity."

A few players nodded their heads in comprehension. This sounded like a simple enough challenge.

"Of course, there's a twist." Professor Birch grinned impishly. "Players who are not participating in the challenge will be sitting inside a boat…over there." He paused and gestured his hands towards a large white boat nearby the wooden plank. "You'll be provided with softballs, which you'll throw and try to knock the player off the balance beam. If that player falls off the beam at any time, he or she must start the challenge over."

"That's gonna waste a lot of time," remarked Takuya.

"Precisely." Professor Birch nodded his head. "If there are no more questions, we'll start the challenge now. We've randomly selected the order of the challenge…and May, you're up first. Everyone else, please get in the boat."

Everybody quickly ran to their positions for the challenge. May was standing at the end of the wooden plank and waiting for the professor's signal to begin. She flashed a quick glance at the floating platform straight ahead. It wasn't actually that far away, so this challenge could be finished very quickly if she doesn't get knocked off.

"Survivors ready?" Professor Birch raised his arm in the air and dropped it instantly. He held a stopwatch in his other hand. "Go!"

May stepped onto the wooden plank. It took her a couple of seconds to maintain her balance, but once she was ready, she began walking straight ahead. The beam was narrow and shaky, which made it difficult for May to walk without falling into the water below. In addition, the players on the boat started throwing numerous softballs at her – most of them missed and plopped in the water, but a few touched May's body and bounced off without knocking her off.

Just when May was about to step onto the floating platform, TK fired a softball right in front of her. May tried dodging it, but she lost her balance on the beam and fell into the water.

"Ugh." May moaned as she quickly swam back to shore. She was careful to not get her torch wet by raising it high in the air. Even in the water, a few determined players threw softballs, aiming for May's head.

May's second time on the plank ended very quickly when Takuya and Rika both threw a softball at May's legs. As she climbed on the plank for the third time, she was knocked midway by one of Drew's softballs. May mumbled something angry under her breath as she swam back to shore. This was her fourth time starting over the challenge.

This time, she tried a different strategy. Instead of standing on the platform, she sat down and shuffled her body across the plank. She was moving at a much slower pace, but at least she reached the platform without being knocked over. Once she arrived, she carefully leapt down and lit her torch with the candle. She climbed back on the platform and used the same strategy to get back to the beach. A few players aimed for her hand, hoping that May would drop her torch, but none of them made contact with May. Eventually, she finished the challenge with a respectable time of two minutes and thirty six seconds.

"Takuya is next," said Professor Birch. "The time to beat is 2:36. If you can make it across the balance beam quicker than May, you'll have a shot at winning immunity. Understand?"

Takuya nodded his head. A few seconds later, Professor Birch called out the signal for Takuya to begin the challenge.

Once the athletic Frontier stepped on the plank, he took gigantic steps on the balance beam. He made extremely quick progress this way by covering a lot of distance in a very short time. There were a few moments when he looked like he would fall in the water, but he always managed to maintain control of his body. However, he still fell into the water twice by the softballs threw by the other players. He got hit both times by TK, who aimed his first throw at Takuya's leg and his second throw at Takuya's head. Takuya fell like a rag doll into the water, but he made a hasty recovery and crossed the plank without any more hindrances. He lit his torch and made it back without falling into the water. His final time was one minute and forty four seconds.

"Drew is next." Professor Birch announced. "The new time to beat is Takuya's 1:44."

Drew took a more cautious and slower approach in the challenge. He got hit once by Rika and fell into the water, but he quickly made it to the floating platform by ducking or positioning his flexible body so that he wouldn't get hit by a ball. On his way back with a lit torch in his hand, Takuya threw a ball at Drew's waist, which hit so hard that it pushed Drew into the water. His torch got extinguished and he had to start the whole challenge over again. Drew finished the challenge with a time of two minutes and eight seconds. It was faster than May's time, but not fast enough to beat Takuya.

"Takuya still holds the record of 1:44." Professor Birch said, "TK, you're next."

TK moved noticeably slower than the other players, which made the blonde an easy target for the players sitting on the boat. For the most part, TK managed to avoid getting hit by most of the softballs. However, the sly duo of Rika and Takuya aimed their throws at TK's injured leg, which was the blonde's ultimate weak spot. TK fell into the water four times and completed the challenge with the slowest time yet: two minutes and fifty six seconds.

"Takuya is still the one to beat." Professor Birch exclaimed. "Can James beat his record? Let's find out!"

The agile and flexible Team Rocket member had an easy time making it across the balance beam. He was able to dodge many of the throws aimed at him. From the corner of his eyes, he noticed that only the three members of Huntail were actively throwing their softballs at James, while Takuya and Rika made surprisingly weak throws despite their previous stellar effort. Although James did get hit in the knee by one of TK's throws and fell into the water, it was his only roadblock for the entire challenge. He finished the challenge easily with a speedy time of one minute and nineteen seconds.

"James has the new record of 1:19!" Professor Birch said. "We have only one player left…Rika, please take your spot on the plank. If you can beat James' time, you'll win immunity. If not, the necklace will go to James." He paused and raised his arm for the signal. "Survivors ready? Go!"

Rika stepped onto the platform carefully, maintaining a steady balance before she began to walk. She briefly glared at the boat and saw a few softballs fired at her direction, but they fell short and landed in the water instead. Ignoring these distractions, Rika started marching across the plank, one step at a time. She knew she had to move fast if she wanted to beat James' time, but her feet can only move at a cautious pace without falling off the shaky and unreliable balance beam.

On the boat, May was the most active person throwing the softballs at Rika, hoping to knock her out. She actually hit once at the beginning, causing Rika to start over the challenge before she made it halfway on the plank. She threw another softball at the Tamer, but Rika caught it with her hands and tossed the ball aside. On the other hand, TK and Drew looked like they were deliberately losing the challenge. They were secretly hoping that Rika would win the challenge, protecting herself from the danger of tonight's vote.

Alas, it was not meant to be. May successfully threw another ball at Rika's leg, throwing Rika off balance just before she reached the floating platform. By the time Rika made it to the platform back and forth, it seemed obvious that she lost too much time swimming back and forth to beat James' record. She grunted irritably as she jumped off the plank, holding a lit torch in her right hand. Professor Birch looked at her with a sad smile.

"Rika, you finished with a time of 1:57. It's a good effort, but that's not fast enough to beat one person…" Professor Birch declared, "James wins immunity! He will be safe from tonight's vote!"

Rika took her loss like a good sport, but she definitely did not feel content with the results. There was a cloud of cynicism and gloom hovering over her head as she walked back to camp. She knew that the vote will come down between herself and Takuya tonight. By now, neither of them had any power to control their destinies in the game. Whatever decision the Huntail trio makes will mark the end of either Takuya or Rika's game. She just didn't know which one of them will be going home.

The icy Tamer glanced at the torch that she carried in her left hand. It was lit with a feeble fire that looked as like it could be extinguished by a strong gust of wind. While Rika had no idea how the Huntail players were voting, she had a feeling – just a general bad vibe – that in a couple of hours, she would be standing in front of Professor Birch with her torch snuffed.

Game over.

- - -

The sun was setting. Takuya was sitting inside the shelter by himself. His bags were already packed, so he could leave for tribal council any minute now. But Takuya wanted to stay in the Clamperl camp just a little longer. For all he knew, this could be his last evening here. Over the past few weeks, Takuya grew attached to the game of Survivor. While he got into conflicts with many players, there were other aspects of the game that he cherished, such as the intense competitions, the survival aspects, and the friendships. His experience was filled with a lot of ups and downs – mostly downs with many losses along the way, but Takuya still enjoyed this journey nonetheless. It was not easy for him to leave this place behind.

_**Takuya: **I think I'm going home tonight. It looks inevitable at this point. I tried persuading May to vote with Gorebyss, but…but she hasn't given me a direct answer, so I assume it's a big fat no. Plus, I've four votes against me in the past, so…so I'm not going to win against anyone in a tiebreaker unless it's Rika. And I'm not going to campaign against Rika. We've been together through the good times, the bad times, and the Cassidy times. I respect Rika too much to vote against her. I won't scoop to that level._

He smiled sadly at the cameras and gave a small, defeated sigh.

_**Takuya: **Anyway, I'm sure it's going to be me tonight. Those guys over there…they wanted me gone since the two tribes merged. And now they'll get their wish. C'est la vie. Anyway, the three of us in Gorebyss decided that we'll vote for Drew. It won't make a difference now, but I'm hoping those votes against him pile up. Then, Drew will lose in the next tiebreaker or something. Heh, that would be so awesome! Who knows…it might even help Rika or James in the future!_

He wasn't alone for long. A few minutes later, Rika climbed inside the shelter and took a seat beside the Frontier. He merely nodded his head as an acknowledgement of her presence, but neither of them said anything to each other. This type of long and eerie silence was not an uncommon thing between the pair of Gorebyss allies, although Takuya felt a strange obligation to say something to the Tamer. Whether it was a stupid joke, an obvious remark, or even a few comforting words, Takuya wanted to have some decent parting words with Rika before he left the game.

But to his surprise, Rika spoke first.

"You lied, Takuya." Rika muttered in a stern, solemn voice. She was not looking at Takuya as she spoke.

"Wh…what?" Takuya stammered.

"You didn't sleep last night," said Rika. She paused and glared coldly at the surprised Frontier. "I saw you leave the shelter last night and come back in the morning."

"It uh, it's not a big deal or anything. I just couldn't sleep, that's all." Takuya gave a small boyish chuckle. He shook his head. "I didn't lie or anything, buddy!"

"Why did you pretend that you slept for the whole night?" Rika continued, ignoring Takuya's previous remark. "You told May you had a weird dream last night. In reality, you haven't slept at all."

"It's not a big deal, Rika!" Takuya repeated himself. He vaguely remembered that brief conversation with May today, although he did not know that Rika was listening to them.

"Have you been doing this every night?" Rika asked.

"I…I'm not…" Takuya muttered, feeling a little defensive. He couldn't continue this charade any longer. He turned to Rika and gave her a shameful nod at her direction. "Not _every_ night. Anyway, I just didn't want you guys to worry."

"You shouldn't be walking around camp in the middle of the night." Rika continued, averting her gaze away from the Frontier.

"I was in the forest. I was stargazing." Takuya replied indignantly.

"A lot of dangerous animals come out in the night." Rika grunted. "Something could have happened to you."

"Look, I told you that it wasn't a big deal-" Takuya raised his voice, but he was cut short by Rika talking over him.

"You're an idiot, Takuya," said Rika. "How could you hide your insomnia just because you don't want us to worry? You're damn lucky that you didn't faint from exhaustion yet."

"I have enough people here tell me what an idiot I am, Rika!" Takuya angrily shouted at the Tamer. "I don't need to hear this from you! Not now, okay?"

Another long silence passed between the pair of allies. Neither of them was looking at each other now. There seemed to be a mixture of anger and hurt in Takuya's face, but he turned away and concealed his emotions from Rika.

"I was looking for you last night," said Rika, breaking what seemed to be an eternal silence. She was speaking in a gentler and apologetic tone than before, although the effects sounded very subtle. "That's how I know you weren't sleeping."

Takuya shot a gloomy glare at Rika's direction, but he did not respond back. After living with him for thirty three days, Rika knew the Frontier well enough. The two of them were alike in many ways. They were both very stubborn people who didn't want to appear weak in front of the others. While the mature Tamer had better control over her emotions, Takuya coped with his problems by putting on a brave act and getting into arguments with people. Yes, he could be a jerk sometimes. But Rika knew the real Takuya, she knew about all his faults and his attributes. And most importantly, she understood him far better than anybody else in this game.

"You were thinking about her, weren't you?" Rika asked, glancing at the Frontier. "Is that why you couldn't sleep?"

"Yeah," mumbled Takuya.

"The girl you can't forget," said Rika. She smiled thinly at him, which was a rare demonstration of warmth and friendliness from the icy Tamer.

"I'm sorry. I shouldn't have yelled at you." Takuya sighed. "I know you were just worried about me. But as always, I acted like a complete asshole to you…"

"Don't apologize." Rika said in an earnest manner. "You're not at fault."

"I can't believe you put up with me for thirty three days." Takuya gave a small boyish chuckle. "There are times when I can't even stand being with myself."

"The game brings out the worst in each of us," said Rika.

"Yeah, thank goodness it's over soon!" Takuya laughed, pumping his fist triumphantly in the air. "In a few more hours, I won't need to play this game any longer."

"You don't know that you're going." Rika scolded. She shook her head. "It could be me."

"They're not going to target you, Rika. You know how to keep your mouth shut. They like you better than me." Takuya smiled sadly at the Tamer. "I'm a marked man since the merge. I've been living on borrowed time ever since. And we've done everything we could to change this outcome."

"We tried, but it doesn't matter anymore," grunted Rika.

"Exactly." Takuya nodded and forced a tired grin on his face. "But you're a different story. You still have a few more days ahead of you. You can't give up!"

"I never give up," said Rika.

"Now you're freaking me out a little. You sound too much like Casey and that's not a good thing, man!" Takuya joked.

"Come on, goggle-head." Rika smiled thinly as she climbed out of the shelter. "Let's go to tribal council. Let's get this shit over with."

"Nah, you go ahead." Takuya waved his hand in dismissal. "I want to stay here a little longer. I'll catch up."

Rika nodded her head and began walking away. She took a few steps away before she turned back and faced Takuya one final time.

"Good luck, Takuya." Rika muttered.

"Thanks." Takuya grinned. He flashed the Tamer a thumbs-up gesture. "You too."

_**James: **I'm not exactly looking forward to this tribal council. As long as Huntail stays together, they have the power and they control all the votes. It doesn't matter who I vote for. Either way, I'm going to screw up my game. Somebody is going to be angry at me. I'm sooooooo not looking forward to that at all._

James sighed to the cameras.

_**James: **I feel like such a coward. I can't even look at Takuya or Rika in the eye and tell them about the truth. I've been avoiding them the whole day. They probably know anyway. Well…I don't think uh, Takuya knows he's safe tonight. But I don't have the heart to tell him. It's so bittersweet…_

- - -

Drew was not a happy man when he walked into tribal council tonight. In retrospect, he should be satisfied that somebody from Gorebyss would be voted out tonight, but the _wrong _person was leaving and that did not sit well with Drew. He tuned out most of the professor's rambling in tribal council, instead focusing his attention on May. He glared at the Pokemon Coordinator with a look of disdain in his eyes. He was partially angry at her for foiling his plans, but Drew was angrier at himself for underestimating May as a game player. May was proving herself to be a very formidable opponent. After all, the most dangerous enemies are the ones you never saw coming.

"Drew, what do you think will happen in tribal council tonight?"

Suddenly hearing the professor's voice brought Drew back to reality. He was at tribal council, going through the usual round of questions before the vote. Luckily, the Pokemon Coordinator was a sharp person who can think on his feet, so he had a decent response prepared in just a couple of seconds.

"It's obvious that someone will get voted off." Drew said sarcastically. "You of all people should know this, Professor Birch."

A few players laughed at Drew's sardonic remark. Professor Birch's face tensed up a little, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Let me rephrase my question." Professor Birch asked. "Do you think the votes will divide between tribal lines?"

"Most likely." Drew shrugged his shoulders in a casual manner. "I could be wrong though."

"Okay." Professor Birch nodded his head. He didn't look satisfied with the Coordinator's vague answer, but the professor knew better than to push on a tired subject. "Your dad didn't show up at the reward challenge, Drew. I believe it was because of a business trip, wasn't it?"

"He's a busy man." Drew said.

"Everyone else had their family visits, but all you got was a letter." Professor Birch said, "That must be a tough pill for you to swallow."

Drew nodded his head in a somber silence. A few players looked uncomfortable at this topic. TK, in particular, thought it was an inappropriate and disrespectful cheap shot from the professor. However, none of the players had any idea what Professor Birch knew about the truth behind Drew's family. Sensing that Drew was not talking any more about this subject, Professor Birch moved on to another player.

"May, you saw your mom at the reward challenge that you didn't win. In fact, you were the first person eliminated. How did you feel then?" Professor Birch asked.

"Devastated. I was devastated, that's how I felt." May smiled sadly at the professor. "I mean, I miss her a lot. You never know how much you love somebody until they're taken away from you. But…but uh, I'm just happy that I got the chance to see her."

"James, tell us more about that visit from your friend yesterday." Professor Birch said, smiling. "You haven't seen your friend for thirty three days. What was the first thing that went through your mind when you saw her?"

"I was sooooo happy!" James laughed. "It was a great morale booster for me. Jessie was like a piece of the outside world delivered to camp. I feel completely motivated to play the game again."

"On a related note, how did you come to your decision tonight? How do you know which player you should vote for?" Professor Birch asked.

James pressed his lips together to form a tight smile. He glanced sheepishly at the professor.

"I'm doing what's best for…for myself." James replied.

"Okay, it's time to vote. James has the immunity necklace and cannot receive a vote tonight." Professor Birch said, gesturing to James as he spoke. "Everyone else is fair game. Takuya, you're up first."

- - -

One by one, the players went to the voting shrine and cast their vote. Rika was the last person to vote tonight. At her return, Professor Birch left to tally the votes. The six players sat in anxiety as they waited for the results.

"Once I read the votes, the person voted off will be asked to leave tribal council area immediately." Professor Birch said in a solemn voice. "I'll now read the votes."

He pulled out the first parchment from the voting urn. He unfolded it and turned the vote over.

"Drew."

The Pokemon Coordinator nodded his head in acceptance. He wasn't thrilled about seeing his name showing up on the parchment, although he was made aware by James that he would be receiving votes from Gorebyss tonight. At least this wasn't a surprise to him.

"Rika," said Professor Birch as he read the second parchment.

_What? _Takuya widened his eyes as he saw his ally's name on the vote. He cast an astonished gaze to Rika, who smiled tightly at the Frontier. She mouthed the words "It's me" to him.

"Third vote," said Professor Birch. He paused as he turned over the third parchment. "Drew. That's two votes for Drew and one vote for Rika."

The professor took out the fourth vote from the urn. He glanced at the four letters scribbled on the parchment before turning it over.

"Rika." Professor Birch announced.

Takuya closed his eyes. It pained him every time he heard that name come out of the professor's mouth. He can't believe that they were targeting Rika over him. In a way, he felt a little insulted that they weren't voting him out, just when Takuya made all the mental preparations to accept this loss like a graceful loser. What happened?

"Rika." Professor Birch said, repeating the Tamer's name for the third time tonight. "That's three votes for Rika and two votes for Drew. One vote left."

James winced as he watched the professor put his hand inside the voting urn. The Team Rocket knew what was going to happen. And he wouldn't enjoy it at all.

"The eleventh person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…" Professor Birch said, pausing briefly before he flipped over the parchment. "Rika."

An emotionless Rika got out of her seat and grabbed her torch. A few players cast apologetic yet guilty glances at the icy Tamer. She might have been a quiet person who didn't reveal a lot about herself, but there wasn't a single person in the tribe who wanted Rika gone due to personal reasons. Everything that happened tonight was strictly built around a strategic standpoint and they hoped she would understand that fact.

"Rika, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch said solemnly as he snuffed out her torch. Rika gazed at her unlit torch without displaying any emotion. "It's time for you to go."

She did not turn around and address any of the remaining players. She just walked away into the forest, disappearing amongst the trees without making a sound. And then, she was gone.

"Six remaining days. Five remaining players," said Professor Birch. He had a faint smile on his face. "Four more tribal councils, three more jury members…"

He paused as the smile on his face transformed into an energetic grin.

"Two finalists, one Sole Survivor." He concluded. "You may go back to camp, Clamperl. I'll see you tomorrow."

Takuya's eyes were still closed. He could not see. He did not see Rika's surprising eviction tonight, although he was certain that everybody else was well informed about the plan. He did not see that he would be blindsided by the entire tribe tonight, although it was clear that James had jump boat for his own safety. He did not see that he was in the Final Five or the fact that he had three more days to bargain and stay in the game.

All he could see was Rika's unlit torch in front of him. And that sight made him angry.

No, it wasn't anger that Takuya felt arising inside him. It was determination. He now felt determined to defeat each and every single player at their own game. If they were stupid enough to keep him around, then Takuya would do all he can to create their demises. He wanted them to know that they made the wrong decision tonight. He might be the last Gorebyss standing against four Huntail members. He might have no more allies or friends left in the Clamperl tribe. But this game was not over for the Frontier warrior. It was far from over.

A person with nothing to lose was the most dangerous player of them all. They had revived the fighting spirit in him. He could feel the burning sensation at every nerve of his energized body. Takuya would not rest until he became the Sole Survivor.

It seemed like there will be another sleepless night ahead of Takuya Kanabara.

And then, he would be ready to kick some ass.

- - -

_**Rika's Final Words**_

There's not much for me to say. I played the game and I got beat by the better players. Survivor is about numbers, which I rarely had throughout the whole time. My poor judgment cost me the game. I made a critical mistake when I voted out Casey. After that, there was not a lot I could do to change my fate.

It was not easy playing the social game. I'm not used to opening up to people, so that was the hardest aspect of Survivor for me. It's a hard game. Nobody ever said it would be easy.

- - -

**_Next Time on Survivor –_**

**Takuya confronts James about the vote…**  
_Takuya: _As far as I'm concerned…  
(James opens his mouth to speak, but Takuya interrupts him.)  
_Takuya: _You and I don't have an alliance anymore.

**A challenge goes terribly wrong for two players…**  
_Professor Birch: _Stop that! Stop immediately!  
(Professor Birch angrily runs towards something.)  
_Professor Birch: _I said stop!

**And the Huntail alliance falls apart…**  
_TK: _The three of us have to stick together!  
(May nods her head and smiles. It is unclear if she is speaking to TK.)  
_May: _Let's vote out Drew.

_**All this and more on – Episode 12: Common Enemy**_

- - -

**Author's Notes:** Sorry for the long wait, everyone! The story is back on schedule now. After reading, please take the survey on my website. I appreciate any input for the story! Thank you!


	12. Episode 12: Common Enemy

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**  
By: Gomamon

_**Last Time on Survivor:**_

_Takuya and Rika devise a strategy called 'Divide and Conquer', which is supposed to create doubt amongst the Huntail alliance and cause them to turn against each other. Meanwhile, Huntail pressures James to betray his original allegiance to Gorebyss in order to secure one more vote at tribal council. If James fails to vote with Huntail, he will lose three potential votes in the jury. _

_While Takuya uses his charm on May to persuade her vote, Drew and TK grow suspicious of the pair's close relationship. Added to his athleticism and strategic unpredictability, Huntail agreed to target Takuya for being a dangerous threat. However, May starts to have second thoughts about the plan, seeing as her best interests are not met. With little warning, she rebels against her alliance and changes the necessary votes against Rika. The icy Tamer is voted out of the game in a 4-2 vote. Five remain, who will be voted off next?_

**Episode Twelve: Common Enemy**

**Clamperl:** _DREW – JAMES – MAY – TAKUYA – TK_

- - -

**DAY 34**

Voting out Rika was not easy, but it had to be done. Or at least that was how James justified last night's decision in his head. In no way did he enjoy writing his ally's name down, nor did he feel proud about betraying his allegiance to her. But he didn't have the power to change an inevitable outcome. Rika would have been voted regardless of who he voted for. At best, James could have forced a tie and hope that someone else changes their vote. It was a risk that he didn't dare to take. In the end, James believed he made the best decision possible. He only hoped Rika would understand.

_**James: **Don't ask. I don't know. I…I hate this game. No, it's not the game…it's the people. This game brings out a substantial amount of selfishness from all of us. I've never seen a more selfish group of people than the Final Five here. And trust me on this one…I say this having been around Jessie and Meowth for years!_

He smiled humourlessly at the cameras.

_**James: **I was under the threat of losing from three potential jurors and I…uh, I panicked. I mean, I can't afford to lose even one jury, let alone three! So…so I got selfish. I submitted to Huntail's blackmailing. I had no other choice. I was forced to vote for Rika, even though I didn't want to. I'm sorry._

At this point of the game, James had no idea what to do anymore. Not that he had a concrete strategy coming into the game, but he never felt as clueless and flustered as he did now. Even the rocky days in Huntail seemed more tolerable than this. It was one thing to be ignored by your tribe members. It was another to be hated by them. For what James did to the Gorebyss alliance, he figured that Takuya must despise him. As do May. As do TK. As do Drew. Everyone in Clamperl must have hated James, but the Team Rocket member wouldn't be surprised.

Sometimes, he hated himself.

His guilty conscience probably contributed a lot to his burden, but James found it difficult to face Takuya after tribal council. From angry outbursts to resentful remarks, James could not predict what Takuya's reaction might be. It was why James tried avoiding contact with the volatile Frontier this morning, but Takuya was insistent on following the Team Rocket member around. In fact, Takuya wouldn't leave the proximity of James until the two of them were in the forest together, alone at last.

"Hey." Takuya said in an uncharacteristically quiet and subdued voice. "What's up?"

James did not know what to say to Takuya. Feeling embarrassed about his prolonged silence, he flashed a weak smile at the Frontier.

"I just want to know why." Takuya continued, "Why did you vote for Rika last night?"

James shook his head reluctantly, as if to indicate that Takuya was fighting a losing battle. But the forceful Frontier was not about to give up.

"Tell me, James." Takuya said. He intensified the eagerness in his voice, although it did not sound angry. As an afterthought, he added, "Please."

"You're not going to like this," sighed James.

"I can handle it," said Takuya, patting his right fist on his chest.

"I was…forced." James replied. Feeling ashamed, he avoided eye contact with Takuya or the cameras around them. "Huntail blackmailed me. They told me that if I didn't vote for her, I'd lose their votes in the jury."

"Oh really?" Takuya widened his eyes in surprise. He nodded his head to himself. James studied the Frontier carefully, but he couldn't distinguish if Takuya's reaction contained surprise or disbelief.

"I didn't want to vote Rika out. I swear on my Team Rocket membership that it was not my intention to vote her out." James shook his head in rapid motion. "That's like…that's the last thing I'd ever want to do…if I had a choice."

He lowered his head in shame.

"But I was selfish." James muttered, kicking his left foot on the dirt. "I did it so I could make it further in the game."

"So, they blackmailed you?" Takuya asked, narrowing his eyes at the Team Rocket member.

"Yes." James raised his head and stared into Takuya's hazel brown eyes. "I wanted to tell you about it, but I didn't know how you'd react."

"Ah…" Takuya pressed his lips together to make a sucking sound. James interpreted it as a sign of disapproval.

"Are you angry at me?" James asked meekly.

"Huh?" Takuya winced. "Well, you could have at least told us. The three of us would've discussed about it and…and we would've worked something out."

"I'm sorry." James mumbled.

"We had your best interest, James. We had your back." Takuya said as he folded his right hand into a fist. "You were one of us, but…"

An emotional Takuya let his voice trail off into unintelligible mumbling. He was at a loss of words.

"Do you hate me now?" James asked.

When he asked this question, James was expecting the worst case scenario to happen. Takuya could end their friendship right there. There could have been some nasty exchanges between the two men until they stomped angrily away in their separate paths. An unpleasant fight might even have erupted if things grew too out of control. But surprisingly, none of these things happened.

Instead, a gracious smile slowly appeared on Takuya's boyish face.

"Nah. Don't say things like that. I don't hate you," said Takuya. As soon as he heard this, a bright smile spread across James' face. "I mean, I'll admit that I am a littledisappointed. But hey, I'm the one who voted out JP…" Takuya paused and let out a small sheepish laugh. "I'd be a hypocrite if I criticized you for doing the same thing."

"I…I'm just so sorry, Takuya." James muttered. "I'm sorry about everything."

"Don't worry about it, buddy." Takuya grinned. He placed a comforting hand on James' shoulder. "We're cool."

_**Takuya: **It's a game. As long as you don't make it personal, it's just one stupid game. That's why I'm not angry at James. It doesn't mean that I necessarily liked what he did, but I won't hold a grudge against him. Nothing I do or say can change the fact that Rika is gone, so…I might as well make the best of a bad situation. After all, one more friend is always better than one more enemy. Am I right?_

"I told you this when I first met you, James. I don't like the way Huntail treats you. I don't like to see outsiders being excluded." Takuya said. His boyish grin was slowly fading away. "I just hate it when…when they'll use you and then throw you aside when they don't need you anymore. It's unacceptable. Those people at Huntail never gave you the respect that you deserve."

"Thank you…" James muttered, bowing his head to Takuya in a dignified manner.

"You don't need to thank me. I'm just saying what I feel." Takuya shrugged his shoulders. "Anyway, there's three of them and only two of us. Things don't look too good on our side."

"What should we do?" James asked.

"Good question." Takuya grinned mischievously. "Let's continue my strategy from before. Divide and conquer."

"Okay…" James muttered. There was a hint of uncertainty in his voice. "How are we going to do that?"

"I know this sounds crazy, but…let's stage a fight," said Takuya. He raised his fist in the air to emphasize his point.

At first, James thought the Frontier was joking, but the genuine enthusiasm in Takuya's face indicated otherwise.

"Yeah, you heard me right." Takuya nodded his head. He pointed his index finger at James' chest. "You and I need to act like we hate each other's guts."

"I'm not sure I understand how this is going to work…" James muttered, scratching his head.

"Look, we can't let Huntail find out that we're still working together. If we make it obvious that we're working with each other, those three losers will band together and target us. We're a solid voting bloc at the Final Four and they know that," explained Takuya. "But if they think that we _despise _each other, they won't see us that big of a threat individually. If they don't have a clear common enemy, they'll turn against each other instead."

"Uh-huh…" James mumbled.

"That's why we need to go undercover. And the best way to do that is to stage a fight. A _big _fight where all hell breaks loose," Takuya giggled excitedly.

"Oh, oh! I get it now!" James chuckled.

"I'm going to try turning May against those guys. I'll play the guilt card. I'll do anything I can." Takuya continued, grinning broadly at the Team Rocket member. "And you go work on Drew. You try to convince him that May is defecting from their alliance. Anything you can to cause dissent in their group. Once they start to doubt each other, their whole damn alliance will fall apart."

Takuya snapped his fingers.

"Then, they'll be begging _us _to vote with them. That would be the best case scenario ever!"

_**Takuya: **James and I are going to stage a fight in front of the tribe. We want to make them think that we aren't working together anymore. Of course, that's not really the case, but everything in this game is about appearances. As long as we appear like we hate each other, they won't think that we're a threat. They'll even be stupid enough to keep us around._

Takuya slammed his fist into the palm of his hand.

_**Takuya: **And then, bam! It's going to hit them when James and I are sitting in the Final Two together. They'll be looking at each other and going, 'Oh shit, did we really let those two idiots outsmart us?' Except we aren't the idiots – they are._

"That sounds like a plan!" James laughed. "I think it's going to work, Takuya!"

"Listen, we might say some nasty things about each other during the fake fight. But they won't mean anything." Takuya said, "I want you to know that we're going to remain friends no matter what happens."

"Yep. Our friendship is unconditional." James agreed.

"Damn right!" Takuya exclaimed. He shared a hearty laugh with James. He patted the Team Rocket member on his shoulder, which eventually turned into a brief friendly hug. "You and I to the end, buddy."

- - -

Takuya's plan was set into motion. They had only one chance to make an impression, so it was crucial that all three Huntail members were present for the staged fight. Fortunately, Clamperl always made a habit of gathering together when they ate lunch. James and Takuya realized the perfect opportunity when they saw one.

The time has arrived. This performance should be no problem for James, who aspired to be an actor ever since he was a child. Yet, he felt nervous and light-headed at the moment. He could feel the pressure of the possible consequences weighing on his shoulders. If he or Takuya made even one slip-up during their act, the observant Huntail members will discover their scam. And they'll band together to vote out a common enemy. And they'll vote James and Takuya off without hesitation. And then, it was over.

There was no script. There were no rehearsals. Whether James and Takuya were ready or not, their fates in this game now relied on how believable their improvisational skills were.

_**Takuya: **I'm not giving up without a fight. I'll do whatever I can to stay in the game, even if it means I have to recycle old clichés in my confessionals. It's even about winning the game anymore. I…I just want to avenge for Rika. I want to win back my pride._

He pounded his right fist over his chest.

_**Takuya: **James and I should be able to fool those suckers. They won't suspect a thing. Hell, we may even win some acting rewards for our performance, heh! Alright, alright, I'm ready. Let's do this. Let's stir some shit up!_

There was a restful atmosphere hovering over the Clamperl tribe. As the five players gathered for lunch today, their conversations were surprisingly casual and light. Not once did they tread on the topics of tribal council or anything game-related. Each player behaved in an almost overly polite manner, cautious of not offending anybody with their carefully chosen words. Even Drew was acting cordial today, laughing and chatting in an energized manner that nobody had seen him before. Overall, there was a pleasant vibe around camp today, something this game lacked for a very long time.

"I checked with the medical team this morning." TK announced, smiling broadly on his face. "They told me that they'll remove my bandages later today."

"Oh my god, how _awesome_ is that?" May squealed in excitement. She leaned over and squeezed TK's left hand.

"Yeah, that's great news." Drew added, "Considering what happened, you made a pretty swift recovery."

"Well, it has been over three weeks since my accident." TK grinned. His handsome face beamed with a glowing radiance. "I…uh, I kind of feel overwhelmed right now, to be honest with you guys! I…I feel like I've been through hell and returned in one piece. It's…it's amazing."

"They don't call you the 'Golden Boy' for nothing, you know." Takuya laughed.

"I'm really happy for you." May smiled at the rest of her tribe, "We all are."

"Here's a toast to one of the strongest survivors ever." James added, raising his cup of water in the air. "To TK!"

A humble smile spread across TK's face, although he looked a little uncomfortable being in the centre of the tribe's attention.

_**May: **I thought it was really quiet and peaceful around camp this morning. But you know what they say. It's always calm before the storm…_

"Hey, you know what? It's not just TK who deserves all the credit here! We…we are pretty tough for making it this far in the game!" Takuya pumped his fist into the air enthusiastically. "Hell yes! The four of us are true survivors!"

"Four of us? Is that a Freudian slip?" Drew snickered.

"Well, I would've said five, but Rika isn't in this game anymore." Takuya shrugged his shoulders. "Wait a second here…you're not implying that you think _all _of us here is a true survivor, right?"

As soon as Takuya said this, there was a subtle shift in the tribe's light atmosphere. The players might not realize it yet, but the tribe's brief moment of harmony was over.

"Someone here obviously doesn't deserve to be in the Final Five." Takuya announced.

Drew smirked. He wondered if Takuya realized the blatant irony in that statement.

"Takuya, what are you talking about?" TK asked. He had a confused smile on his face. "We made it this far in the game. We all deserve to be here."

"I don't have any respect for _backstabbers_ in this game, especially the ones who think they can fly under the radar and go unnoticed." Takuya rolled his eyes. He gestured his hand at James. "Am I right, James?"

"Takuya, I told you I was sorry…" James muttered.

"No, I should be the one saying sorry here," said Takuya. He shot a deadly glare at the Team Rocket member. "I'm sorry that I ever trusted a two-faced liar in this game. And I'm sorry that I…I thought this no-good weasel was actually my friend. I am _so _damn sorry for all of that!"

"I did not backstab you!" James shouted.

"How can you even say that with a straight face?" Takuya scowled angrily. "What a crock of shit!"

"Don't make a scene. It's not worth it." James shook his head.

"We had your back this whole time, James! We would have never betrayed you!" Takuya roared. He leapt up from his seat, but May grabbed the Frontier's arm and pulled Takuya back to his seat. "Instead, you sided with those people over there!"

"I was in an alliance with you…" James tried to explain, but his sentence was cut off by Takuya's loud and interruptive shouting.

"Let me clarify something. As far as I'm concerned…" Takuya made a slashing gesture with his left hand. "You and I don't have an alliance anymore."

"That's perfectly _alright _with me!" James said, folding his arms across his chest. "Whatever!"

"Go to hell!" Takuya retorted.

"Grow up, Takuya!" James spitted his words with seething anger. "Stop acting like a child every time you don't get your way!"

Having said his final words, James got up from his seat and stomped away in a huff of anger. Takuya responded the only way he can. He saluted the Team Rocket member with his middle finger. The rest of Huntail exchanged uneasy glances with each other, all speechless and stunned. Drew stared at the Frontier with a disapproving frown.

"What?" Takuya asked, sounding irritated.

"You have issues, Takuya." Drew muttered.

The Pokemon Coordinator sighed softly as he rose from his seat, chasing after James who ran into the forest. TK also got up and followed Drew, leaving just May and Takuya around the campfire by themselves.

"Emotions were flying high back then." May said, struggling to find the right words to comfort the Frontier. "I'm sure both of you said things that you didn't really mean."

"Don't try to defend him, May." Takuya warned as he shook his head. "He betrayed Rika. He betrayed me!"

"I'm not defending anyone." May said. She leaned over and gently stroked Takuya's back "I…I just think we all need to calm down. Everyone here is under a lot of stress."

"I hate this game," muttered Takuya.

_**TK: **Takuya launched a personal attack on James today. He totally overreacted. At the end of the day, James is…uh, James was his friend. Takuya needs to understand that Survivor is just a game. It's not a matter of life or death. Uh, I thought he acted out of line today. It confirms what I already thought of him from before…he's a sore loser. That's all I have to say._

TK sighed softly to the cameras. The ends of his lips curled and formed into a disapproving frown.

_**TK: **On the bright side, this should guarantee that James will stay loyal to Huntail, if out of nothing else but necessity. That's a good thing. It means that we've the numbers now. As long as Huntail stays together, I've no doubt that we can take over the entire game._

- - -

May was the last woman standing.

It was the first time she took note of this astounding accomplishment. Never in a million years could she imagine that she'd become the final female player in the game. After all, this was the same girl who began Survivor on a tribe with seven _men_. They could have easily voted her out then, considering that she was not athletic or particularly useful around camp. But through her pleasant attitude and natural charisma, May found a way to survive despite having the odds against her. And she continued to survive for eleven tribal councils without receiving a single vote against her.

_**May: **I began the game on a tribe with all men and I'm about to end the game on a tribe with all men. How fitting is that? Oh my god, I still can't believe it. I can't believe I'm the only girl here. I mean, I'm like the last of my species. That's like, so…so weird!_

May laughed. She clasped her hands together and put them against her mouth.

_**May: **I guess I feel honoured that I'm the remaining female in a sea of testosterone. I don't know…I wish there was another girl here to keep me company! But uh, I'll cope with it. Yeah, I made it this far and I'm not going to let anyone down. I mean, most importantly, I can't let myself down! For all the girls out there, I have to beat the boys. I must, I must, I must!_

Perhaps her fate would have been different had she started out on the Gorebyss tribe. The luck of the draw was the sole reason why May began her game on Huntail. But it was strange how things worked out for her in the long run. By switching to Huntail early on, May avoided attending four consecutive tribal councils that eliminated half of the female cast in the game. Her Huntail membership was also why she stayed in a majority after the merge.

Yes, being in Huntail benefited May in numerous ways. She was extremely thankful to all the Huntail men who have helped her make it this far in the game. But there came a time when May needed to draw a line between tribe loyalty and her personal interests in this game.

And right now, May was ready to cut loose one of her allies from Huntail.

If May could have her way, Drew would become the twelfth player voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands.

She believed that she finally had the numbers to oust her arrogant archenemy out of this game. With the help of Takuya and TK, two people who she built a strong rapport with, May knew she could pull off one of the most significant moves in this game. Hell would freeze over before Drew would take May anywhere near the Final Two. The sooner the crafty Pokemon Coordinator was gone, the better May's chances of winning this game would be.

Later in the day, May found an opportunity to have some alone time with TK around camp. The two Huntail allies were sitting by the fire as they boiled a pot of water together. Normally, this mundane task only required one person on the duty, but TK volunteered to keep May company so she wouldn't feel lonely. Trivial actions like this always distinguished TK from the rest of the men. He was so friendly, so gracious, and so endlessly optimistic. It was difficult for May to find one reason to dislike TK even if she tried.

"Let's vote out Drew," whispered May.

"What?" TK reacted sharply to May's sudden comment. She nodded her head and smiled at him. That was when he realized May wasn't joking at all.

"All you have to do is say yes." May continued. She kept her voice low in fear of anybody overhearing this conversation. "I know Takuya will agree to vote with us if we ask. That's three votes right there."

"May, why are we voting out Drew?" TK asked, trying to whisper but his words sounded more audible due to the apparent anxiety in his voice.

"Why _aren't _we voting out Drew?" May said. She paused for a small chuckle. "He's a dirty, dishonest schemer. He'll backstab us when he gets the chance."

"I thought we were targeting Takuya!" TK shook his head in protest.

"We can't vote him out yet." May said, widening her eyes. She was trying so hard to convey the obvious message to TK, but it didn't seem to be going through. "Takuya…he can help us vote Drew out."

"But we had a plan! We're supposed to vote out Takuya next!" TK nervously bit his lips. He carried a worried expression on his face. "May, you promised us that!"

May sighed in frustration. She sensed that TK didn't understand the bigger picture. For all the virtues in his personality, TK could sometimes be too loyal and stubborn to a fault.

"I…I agreed to those things because Drew was there with us. I didn't want him to suspect me," explained May.

"So, you were being dishonest with us…" TK muttered.

"No, don't take it the wrong way!" May gasped. She tried to quickly steer the conversation in the right direction. "But just between you and me, I think Drew needs to go. He's too much of a snake!"

_**TK: **I want to trust May, but I find that I can't do it anymore. She's drifting further and further away from us. I think she has been very conniving lately. First, she blackmailed us into voting Rika out, even though it should've been Takuya's time to go. Now, she wants me to vote Drew out! What about our alliance? What about our Final Three pact?_

He nervously bit his lips.

_**TK: **It's…it's totally unacceptable. I feel like she's not even part of our alliance anymore. She's just doing her…own thing. May needs to realize that she's not always going to get her way. No matter what she says, I know we can't afford to keep Takuya around any longer. We have a common enemy. His name is Takuya. He has to go._

"The three of us have to stick together!" TK said as he pounded his hand onto his palm, hoping the gesture would emphasize the importance of his words. "Don't you see, May? That's what Takuya wants us to do. He's trying to tear us apart!"

"No!" May exclaimed. The frustrated Coordinator was no longer whispering. "We can't trust Drew. You might think he's your friend, but he's really stabbing you in the back."

"You don't know that." TK responded in an undignified manner. He turned his head away and gazed elsewhere.

"How many times have Drew promised us something that he didn't do?" May said, "He's a snake and he can't be trusted."

"If we vote out Drew now, we're leaving Takuya and James in the game together. Do you know how dangerous that is?" TK muttered.

"You witnessed their fight. Takuya and James want nothing to do with each other!" May argued. "If we're in the Final Four with the two of them, we can control how the vote will fall."

"I don't know…" TK muttered dubiously.

"I know the truth hurts, but Drew is one of the smartest players in this game. And he's playing all of us to a tee. He is the puppeteer and he's controlling all of us." May said, "Please, TK…please do the right thing. Just…at least consider it, okay?"

Closing his eyes, TK nodded his head without a verbal reply.

May flashed a concerned glance over the blonde. She tried reading his blank and enigmatic face with little success. She could see that TK was thinking over her words. She only hoped that he would believe her, trust her, and vote with her. In her opinion, the main obstacle of earning TK's vote was his friendship with Drew. The two men bonded over the past few weeks, so TK must feel an obligation to stay loyal to the Pokemon Coordinator. If only she could show TK what a dishonest and devious liar Drew was…

- - -

May's accusations against Drew might seem harsh, but they were completely true.

What made Drew such a tactical player in this game was how he always planned moves a few steps ahead. There was no point of making it far in the game if he stood no chance of winning in the end. Drew knew that if he was in the Final Three with his current alliance, he will not win. He won't win against May, a likable and popular player who always remained pleasant despite her precarious circumstances. He also won't win against TK, a persistent and friendly competitor who endured a serious injury by keeping an optimistic attitude. He joined an alliance with the two of them out of necessity against the Gorebyss tribe, but it was about time to abandon his allies and look for better options.

May and TK should not be surprised to learn this fact, but Drew never intended on keeping his allegiance to them past the Final Five.

_**Drew: **James is the key person in my strategy to make it to the end. For a while, I've set him up as sort of a scapegoat…someone who I can dispose of at any time of the game. But James has another purpose. Now, he's a pivotal vote that I can use and manipulate to get whatever outcome I want in the next tribal council. And now that Takuya has made a complete ass of himself, it's the perfect opportunity for me to solidfy my alliance with James._

Like the rest of the tribe, Drew was blissfully oblivious to the shrewd little ploy set up by Takuya and James. At this moment, Drew still thought that there was animosity between the two former allies.

_**Drew: **At first, I was worried that aligning with James meant Takuya had to tag along in the alliance. I don't trust Takuya and I never will. Fortunately, dumb and dumber had a huge argument today. So now, I don't have to worry about James and Takuya teaming up if I keep both of them in the Final Four. Ahh…it just seems so easy!_

Drew grinned arrogantly at the cameras.

_**Drew: **My top priority is getting either May or TK out of this game. I can't beat them in the finals, so they're just hindrances to my strategy. If I've a choice, I'll choose to vote May out first. She…she's a sneaky one. She's not as loyal and trustworthy as TK. And she's a lot closer to Takuya than I feel comfortable with._

If Drew could have his way, May would become the twelfth player voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands.

The most important part was making the right pitch to the right people. Drew just needed to convince two players and he'll have a majority at tribal council. Drew had not decided yet whether the second person would be TK or Takuya. But he knew for certain that James, who was Drew's ideal Final Two partner, must be included in this alliance of three.

Drew brought James to Shipwreck Island after the staged argument. Drew said that it was to help the Team Rocket member cheer up, but the real motive was to prey on James during his most vulnerable time.

"Are you feeling better?" Drew asked.

"Yeah." James nodded his head. He flashed a polite smile at the Pokemon Coordinator. "Thanks for bringing me to Shipwreck Island."

"Just forget about Takuya. He's a jerk. We all know that," said Drew.

James nodded his head silently. He averted his gaze elsewhere to avoid making eye contact with Drew. He ended up staring at a blubbery Seel that was a few feet away from where James and Drew were sitting. It was sleeping soundly on the sand.

"It's been a long time since I've been here." James grinned. "Remember when we used to come here when we were supposed to be fishing?"

"Yeah. This place was our little hideaway from Huntail," said Drew.

"We hide because we want to escape from the truth." James muttered. He paused and added, "Or at least, that's why I come here."

"Is there supposed to be a hidden meaning that I'm not getting?" Drew asked, raising an eyebrow.

"Noooooo…I'm just trying to be profound. I know, I know. I'm failing miserably at that." James chuckled.

Drew turned to him with an amused smile, interpreting James' laughter as an opening to state his proposal.

"James, have you thought about the finals?" Drew asked.

"Sometimes, I do." James admitted.

"Have you thought about the most obvious outcome of this game?" Drew asked.

"Huh?" James turned his eyes back to Drew. The Team Rocket member looked confused. "Uh…I don't think so."

"I think May is going to win this game." Drew replied. A disapproving frown spread across his face. "That's my conclusion after watching how everything is unfolding."

"You…you think so?" James asked, sounding intrigued.

"Think about it. The jury is littered with her friends." Drew explained, "JP and Casey, just to name a few. She's friends with everyone. They'll all vote for her to win the money."

"I noticed that she hasn't made any enemies in the game." James added.

"That's because she hasn't been playing the game." Drew scowled. "She has been riding on everyone's coattails and hiding behind the bigger targets."

"I know. She doesn't really deserve to be here..." James nodded his head.

"Unfortunately, I don't think the jury will see it that way." Drew sighed in exasperation. He picked up a small rock and tossed it in the air. It landed perfectly in his hand. "They're going to vote for the lesser of two evils. And May has set herself up quite nicely for that position."

"She's playing such a sneaky game!" James protested. He made a face to indicate his dissatisfaction for May's strategy. "She tries so hard to come off as this sweet and innocent girl, but…"

"But her actions suggest otherwise." Drew finished the sentence for James. The Team Rocket member nodded eagerly in agreement. "She manipulates people without being too obvious about it."

"That's what makes her soooooo _sneaky_!" James said, stressing the syllables of his words to emphasize his point.

"And she's going to keep getting away with it unless we stop her." Drew said with a subdued smirk.

Drew and James exchanged glances with each other. A smug smirk began to form on Drew's face.

"What do you think, James?" Drew asked.

"I think May needs to go." James replied without any hesitation.

"I'm in." Drew grinned. "And I'm sure that I can convince TK to do the same."

"But I thought you've an alliance with her." James muttered in uncertainty.

"It was temporary." Drew said in a dismissive tone. "I don't want to stay in an alliance with someone I can't trust."

"Okay, okay." James nodded his head. He stared at Drew as if he was searching for some type of reassurance in his face. "So, just to confirm…we aren't going to vote out Takuya?"

"Takuya is a harmless idiot." Drew said this in a matter-of-fact voice. "Don't worry about him. If you want, we can vote him out next. Let's take care of May first."

Drew extended his arm to James and offered him a handshake. Carrying a wide smile on his face, James shook Drew's hand with a mixture of excitement and eagerness. And just like that, a new alliance was born.

_**James: **If Drew is willing to vote May out, then I'm just peachy with anything he proposes! I can't believe it happened, but Drew promised me that he's going to vote her out. Wow. I…uh, I didn't think it would be this easy! I didn't even have to say or do anything. But uh…the Huntail alliance is no more!_

James waved his arm giddily in front of the cameras as a small and preemptive celebration.

_**James: **Takuya's plan is working. They don't see us as threats anymore. As long as this charade continues, we're going to be the ones in power. And we'll get to decide who goes home at the next tribal council, hehe._

- - -

**DAY 35**

Ever since the infamous bear attack, TK was required to check in with the medical team every three days. For the most part, it was just standard procedures, such as applying treatments on his injury and changing the bandages on his leg. TK also received hours of sessions from the game psychologist, who tried easing the emotional trauma of his attack. She gave him constant reminders that he could leave the game whenever he desired. In fact, the medical team strongly discouraged him from continuing the game at first. However, the persistent blonde refused to quit (not that TK would have much of a choice, had the doctors deem his conditions too severe).

TK Takaishi might be a lot of things, but a quitter was not one of them.

As most of TK's acquaintances would discover, his perpetual optimism was highly infectious. Eventually, the medical team's concerns turned into empathetic support. Although the doctors and the nurses were supposed to maintain a neutral standpoint about the game, they were secretly rooting for the blonde to win. In their opinions, there could be no truer definition of a _survivor _than TK Takaishi. He was the boy who survived a deadly bear attack. He was the boy who survived these horrendous and painful treatments without any complaints. He was the boy who survived the harsh game dynamics despite his apparent hindrances.

No diagnoses were needed. All the doctors and nurses would unanimously agree that TK Takaishi was a true survivor.

_**TK: **They took the bandages off my leg yesterday and uh…it feels great! I'm so grateful to the doctors and nurses who took care of me. I…I couldn't say thank you enough times to represent the amount of gratitude I have for them._

The gracious blonde grinned toothily at the cameras.

_**TK: **Everything is back to normal now. My leg is still in one piece…I'm still in one piece! What more can I say? I'm thrilled!_

This morning, TK began his typical jog around the island. Except this time, he wasn't walking at the pace of a snail. He was _really _jogging. And once he began running, he never wanted to stop. He felt so free. Free of bandages, free of medicine, free of injuries. And then, there was the movement, the sweating, and the breeze of the chilly morning air. These were all familiar sensations that TK didn't experience for a very long time. He felt as if he could live in this glorious moment forever.

But as surreal as these feelings might be, TK realized that he was still playing a game. There were still five difficult days ahead of him and there was no room for him to be complacent. His celebrations could wait. For now, TK needed to plan his next moves in this game.

"Keep it together." TK muttered to himself.

In the last couple of days, something had been bothering TK. Or to be more precise, it was a _somebody_. Somebody with a head of green hair, a pair of green eyes, and a signature smirk that made TK feel a little green. May's spiel to him had sunken into TK's head and took its effect. Now, the blonde couldn't even look at Drew without feeling a certain amount of doubt in his head – and that made him feel very guilty. Unfortunately, there was no other emotion that Drew could detect better than guilt. As soon as TK began behaving differently in front of the Pokemon Coordinator, Drew knew that something changed. Something happened that he wasn't aware of. And he immediately knew he had to patch things up with TK, regardless what the problem might have surfaced in between their relationship.

"Hey there," Drew said as he ran up to TK and tapped the blonde on the shoulder.

"Good morning." TK forced a faint smile on his face. "I'm getting treemail."

"Mind if I accompany you?" Drew asked.

"The more the merrier," said TK. "It's not that exciting though. I hope I don't bore you."

Drew chuckled. He began running alongside with the blonde in silence. Occasionally, TK would point out several species of wildlife in their surroundings and Drew would briefly explain about their details. In a matter of minutes, the barriers were dropped and the two men began laughing and cracking small jokes like old friends. They were completely at ease again.

"Ah, I see that you're wearing shorts today. That's a rarity," said Drew.

"I know. I want to show off a little." TK chuckled. He patted his hand over his lap. "I want everyone to know that I'm not wearing bandages anymore."

"Well, that's certainly something to be proud of." Drew nodded. He leaned down to examine TK's left leg. "Cool. I can't even see any cuts or scars on your leg."

"It still hurts a little. And I can't move as fast as I used to," admitted TK.

"Make sure you don't tire yourself out. You've just recently recovered." Drew warned, "Baby steps, TK. Baby steps."

"I'll try to remember." TK nodded his head in comprehension. "But now that I've recovered, I…uh, I'd really like to win a challenge. An immunity challenge, preferably."

"Your performances in the past leave a lot to be desired though," said Drew jokingly.

"I want to redeem myself. I want to win a challenge." TK said with a boyish and enthusiastic grin on his face. "And if it counts for anything, I feel _really _determined about this."

"Hey, go for it. There's nothing stopping you." Drew shrugged his shoulders. In a more sarcastic tone of voice, he added, "Except Takuya."

"He's strong, but he's not invincible." TK laughed nervously.

"That's true. If you can prove that Takuya isn't as great at those challenges as he claims to be, I'll tip my hat to you." Drew smirked.

"I'm going to give it my all." TK smiled as he clenched his fist together in a determined manner. "Yeah!"

_**Drew: **No one can say a bad thing about TK. He's just a genuine guy. What you see is what you get. But there comes a point when you can be TOO likable and it'll make you a threat in the game. The jury loves TK. They'll all vote for him in the end. I know I don't want to sit next to him in the Final Two. I don't think anybody does. The only way TK can make it in the finals is…is if he takes himself there. So, good luck with those challenges!_

Drew smiled thinly at the cameras. There was a hint of disappointment in his face, although the Coordinator tried very hard to conceal that emotion.

_**Drew: **Right now, I can afford to keep TK around for a few more days. The best thing about TK is that…he's a very trustworthy ally. Unlike May, I know that TK won't stab me in the back. And that's what puts him higher on the hierarchy than May. He's loyal, she's not. She's plotting something, I can sense it. Can't blame her, I'm doing the same thing. I just have to catch her before she catches me._

"TK, there's something I have to tell you." Drew said, sounding hesitant. He glanced around their surroundings to make sure they were alone. "It's about May."

TK raised his eyebrows in interest, but did not say anything.

"She's planning to vote you out," whispered Drew.

"Wow." TK muttered in surprise. That was the only word that could come out of his mouth right now. He paused for a few seconds before his vocabulary eventually returned to him. "Seriously?"

"From the sound of things, it seems like she already recruited Takuya." Drew explained, "And she wants me to be the third vote in her plans."

"You didn't say yes, did you?" TK asked.

"No, no. Of course not." Drew shook his head. "Or I won't be telling you this otherwise."

"You're not lying to me, are you?" TK asked, staring into Drew's emerald green eyes. "I don't want you to lie to me, Drew."

"I'm not lying," lied Drew.

"That's not enough." TK said, shaking his head slowly. "Promise me. Promise me that…that you're sincere."

"I swear on my father's life that I'm being one hundred percent honest right now." Drew said, raising his right hand in the air. He stared at TK with a blank expression. "Is that good enough?"

TK tried reading the ambiguous expression on the Pokemon Coordinator's face, but he had little success. The blonde would have to believe Drew for now.

"Okay. I…I have a revelation to you too." TK muttered, looking sheepish. "May told me that she wants to vote you out too."

"I'm not terribly surprised," scoffed Drew. A faint smirk spread across the Coordinator's smug face. "You know what that means, right?"

"Hold on, Drew. Don't rush to conclusions yet." TK said, grabbing the Pokemon Coordinator gently by his shoulders. "I didn't tell you this so you'd go around and make the same mistake as May."

"Enlighten me with your thoughts," said Drew. His words carried a sharper edge than he intended.

"I'm thinking that we need to stay together. The three of us, the Huntail alliance…we're falling apart and I don't like the looks of things." TK explained in a slow and cautious manner. "I still don't trust Takuya or James. They're our biggest enemies in the game."

"TK, wake up. May is playing both of us!" Drew snapped. "May wants the two of us to turn against each other…"

"And it's not working, is it?" TK interrupted with an abrupt question.

"We're together," said Drew, nodding his head.

"In that case, May's plan is a failure." TK explained, "But we can't vote her off yet. We still need her vote."

"She's the third wheel in our alliance. She can be replaced," responded Drew.

"I don't trust James and Takuya. And I'm not telling you to trust May either, but…but we can't let our alliance fall apart because of Gorebyss," argued TK.

"At least we know where Takuya and James stand in the game." Drew said, "But May can pull the wool over our eyes. And in my eyes, that makes her a far more dangerous threat than anybody else. Takuya and James are…well, they're stupid. They can't do anything even if they tried."

"We can't underestimate our enemy." TK warned.

"May _is_ our enemy." Drew retorted.

"She's in our alliance and we need her." TK said, trying to sound as persuasive as possible. "The three of us can talk things out. As long as you understand that the two of us are still working together, don't worry about May. None of her tactics will work. She can stay, for now."

"That's a critical mistake, TK. I can't let us do something so stupid." Drew shook his head.

"We have to do this," said TK. "We have to work together…the three of us. That's the only way somebody from Huntail will win this game."

"She's a traitor! She…she's a manipulator!" Drew protested. "Don't you see, TK? If you don't vote May out now, you're going to regret it for the rest of your life."

"That's a risk I'll have to take." TK said coldly.

"Don't do it." Drew muttered.

_**Drew: **My plan backfired on me. I lied to TK, hoping that he'd agree with me and vote May out. It turns out that he has a little agenda of his own. He…he wants the Huntail alliance to work together and vote Takuya out. But frankly, I don't care what TK thinks. I've wanted May gone before I found out that she's plotting against me. I don't know if she's my worthy adversary or if she's just a stupid opponent. Either way, it's official. She's a goner._

- - -

The Clamperl tribe entered the reward challenge knowing it was the last one for the rest of the game. What they didn't know was that the prize would be the biggest one yet.

"Welcome to your final reward challenge, players." Professor Birch greeted the tribe of five with a friendly smile. "Congratulations to all of you for making it this far."

"Do we get to win a car?" Takuya asked in a giddy voice. "Do we? Do we?"

"No, but the reward is just as satisfying." Professor Birch grinned. He ignored the disappointed expressions on several players' faces and continued, "Drew, you were here for the first reward challenge. Do you remember what you were playing for?"

"A motorboat," replied Drew.

"That's what you were playing for in the _first_ reward challenge. And that's what you'll be playing for in the _last _reward challenge." Professor Birch's grin grew wider. "That's right! The winner will get a license to a brand new motorboat – the same kind that you have in your camp! Is this reward worth playing for?"

The players' reactions only seemed half-enthusiastic and half-sincere. Most of them anticipated the grand price to be a brand new car, so winning just a motorboat was a few steps down from their high expectations. Still, a reward was a reward. And all of the players wanted to win this challenge.

"Here's the key that will unlock the motorboat." Professor Birch held up a small silver key in his burly hand. "Who wants it?"

"I do!" Takuya's arm rose instantly.

"Here, Takuya has the key." Professor Birch tossed the key to Takuya, who easily caught it in his hand. "Now, we begin the challenge. Behind me is a gigantic hedge maze. There's only one entrance and only one exit."

The players nodded their heads as they studied the blocks of green hedges behind the Professor. A few of them didn't realize that it resembled a maze until the professor informed them about it.

"The person with the key is trying to leave this maze. So, if Takuya successfully leaves the maze, he'll win the reward." Professor Birch explained, "The rest of you will be trying to catch Takuya. If you manage to tag Takuya on any part of his body, Takuya is out and that person will be the new key holder. He or she will be trying to leave the maze without being caught. It's like a game of tag in the maze. Get it?"

"So it's the four of them against me?" Takuya asked with a lopsided smile.

"You should be used to it by now." Professor Birch returned the smile back to the Frontier. "Anyway, you'll get a head start in the challenge. The others won't enter the maze until two minutes later. This challenge will end once someone with the key leaves the maze, or there is only one person remaining in the competition."

"That sounds cool." May smiled graciously at the professor. "Let's get started!"

As the holder of the key, Takuya was let into the maze for a head start. The other four players had to wait outside for two minutes before they were allowed to enter.

"Time is up. Survivors ready?" Professor Birch raised his hand high in the air. He dropped it in a swift gesture. "Go!"

The four players dashed into the maze, none of them leading or trailing in particular. At the first intersection, Drew was the only person who turned right, whereas James, May, and TK all turned left. It didn't take long before the Pokemon Coordinator retraced his steps when he had walked into a dead end. Feeling frustrated, he turned around and ran in the opposite direction, hoping he could catch up with the rest of the group.

Elsewhere in the maze, Takuya was struggling to make progress. Ten seconds into the challenge, it was clear that Takuya had absolutely no sense of direction. He didn't realize that he had been walking around in circles for the past few minutes, despite the fact that he encountered the same dead end for three times. However, what the athletic Frontier lacked in navigational skills, he made up in speed. He still advanced further in the maze than any of the other players, but they were soon catching up.

"Shh. Let's be really still for a second." TK whispered as he held his index finger to his mouth. "If we're close to Takuya, we might be able to hear his footsteps."

James and May, who were traveling with the blonde, nodded their heads in obedience. The three of them stood in silence for a brief moment as they tried listening for any noise in the maze.

"I hear somebody!" James said, widening his eyes.

"I think we're getting close!" May added.

"Which way is it coming from?" TK asked.

"Behind…behind us." James said, although he sounded uncertain. "That's strange. Takuya shouldn't be behind us…"

"That's because it's _not _Takuya," declared a low and masculine voice. The three players, startled, turned around to identify the origin of the voice.

James sighed when he caught the sight of Drew, who was lagging behind ever since a wrong turn at the beginning of the challenge. The Pokemon Coordinator finally caught up to the rest of the group.

"Those were your footsteps?" May asked.

"Obviously." Drew rolled his eyes.

"Let's get moving. We're losing valuable time," whispered TK.

The four players continued traveling as a pack until they encountered another intersection. Drew turned left, May turned right, while James and TK went straight ahead. For at least one of them, they were one step closer in the right direction.

Several minutes passed by and Takuya had no clue where he was. By now, he was certain that he passed this route before, for he noticed the odd twig sticking out in one of the walls. But knowing that he was lost only made the athletic Frontier more frustrated. For a few seconds there, he let his guard down and he didn't even realize when one player sneaked up behind him and tagged Takuya on the shoulder.

He was out of the challenge. Another player was holding the key now.

Meanwhile, James and TK were still navigating in the hedge maze together. Based on just appearances, these two seemed like an unlikely pair to work together in the reward challenge. But James' keen eyes and TK's strong sense of direction made them a formidable pair. In fact, it was the combination of these attributes that led the two men directly to Takuya.

"There's Takuya!" James exclaimed as he made a quick dash to the Frontier. TK was right behind him, struggling to catch up to the agile Team Rocket member.

"Give it up, guys. I don't have the key anymore." Takuya said, slowly shaking his head. James and TK slowed down a little, although both men still seemed wary about the Frontier's truthfulness. "I'm out of the challenge. Somebody caught me. I…I'm just trying to find my way out of this stupid maze."

"Who has the key?" TK asked.

"Why should I tell you two?" Takuya grinned mischievously.

Just then, they heard the sound of a whistle blow. Takuya smirked, knowing that this sound was the signal for the end of the challenge. Somebody just won themselves a brand new motorboat.

"We have a winner!" Professor Birch's voice declared.

At the exit of the hedge maze, a joyous May was leaping up and down in excitement. She held a tiny silver key in her right hand, the same key that she took from Takuya when she eliminated him from the challenge.

"Congratulations, May! You've won the reward challenge!" Professor Birch grinned at the jovial Coordinator. "You've just won a motorboat!"

"Oh my god…" May laughed. She clasped her hands over her mouth. "I can't believe it! Oh my god!"

Soon, the men were evacuated out of the complex hedge maze. They politely congratulated May on her victory, although several of them didn't look too impressed. James, in particular, felt annoyed that the Pokemon Coordinator won this reward challenge due to blind luck. Not only did her undeserving victory bother James immensely, it also confirmed a suspicion that lingered in his head for the past couple of days.

What if Takuya and May were working together?

What if Takuya purposely let May win this reward so that he could build a foundation of trust with her?

What if Takuya and May struck a deal and promised to take each other to the Final Two?

Although these questions were solely fabricated by James' wandering mind, the Team Rocket member couldn't help but wonder. How loyal was the Frontier? As much as James wanted to believe that Takuya was an honest ally, the athletic Frontier had pulled off shady and underhanded moves in the past. If Takuya _really _wanted to avenge for Rika, anything was possible. There was a fair chance that Takuya had set James up to look like the biggest fool in this game. And no – James would have none of that!

The more he thought about this, the clearer James' vision became. He realized that there was only one thing he could do. This one action will allow him to erase all those burdening doubts he had about Takuya. This one action should be the solution to all his problems.

James must eliminate the parasite in his strategy.

And that meant May had to leave this game.

- - -

As a child, May always thought the less she knew, the happier she would be. She first learned this ideal when she was eight years old. That was when her parents' marriage reached its rockiest slump. Several times, May would accidentally catch her father flirting with the local nurse at the Pokemon hospital. Of course, he would always fabricate some excuse about his actions. _No, May…Nurse Joy wasn't feeling well, so that's why you saw daddy massage her shoulders. _But May believed him, even though there were often flaws in his reasoning. That was because May knew the truth was always hurtful, and it led her to a plague of paranoia that she never enjoyed experiencing. She would rather believe an idealistic fantasy than face the brutal truth. Ignorance was bliss.

Unfortunately, she could not play Survivor the same way. In this game, being ignorant was the same as being stupid. And being a stupid _and _ignorant player would not win May the million dollars. So, May was always on the alert. She suspected every player, and she often second-guessed herself in the game. Sometimes, her instincts were wrong and she trusted the wrong people (like JP, for example). But even then, May was aware that she had to rely on herself. After losing two valuable allies, May had learned this important tidbit the hard way. Nobody can be trusted.

_**May: **I'd like to believe that Drew, TK and I have a solid Final Three pact, but I know that's just a figment of my imagination. There's no way they'll honour that deal. Well, TK might…but Drew is a whole different story! He lied to me too many times. And I believed him, like a big sucker. He's the reason why Brock isn't here. He's the reason why Takato isn't here. He's the reason why I'm fighting so hard. I…I have to take Drew down. I must, I must, I must!_

For a while, May figured that she was in danger if she stuck with the Huntail alliance. But she would be surprised to find out the abundant amount of scheming done behind her back – all of which she was still blissfully ignorant about. Luckily, May at least had an idea that her archenemy, Drew, was up to no good. And it was clear that she had to jump ship. But how?

Strangely enough, she found herself seeking a solution from Takuya Kanabara. He might be as big of a liar as anyone else, but he was also the only person who endeared himself to May. Despite his evident abrasiveness, Takuya can be very charming when he wanted to be, especially with the ladies. May laughed at his jokes, listened to his stories, and blushed as he sang praises to her ears. Their friendship might have experienced its highs and lows, but for the most part, they remained very friendly and civilized with each other. In a sense, they were like two business partners in a shaky alliance. He used her as much as she used him. And now, it was time for May to find leverage with Takuya once more. He was her only option left.

"Congrats on winning that reward challenge, May!" Takuya grinned. He put his right arm over May's shoulders. She smiled sweetly back at him. "I mean, holy cow! You've just won a fricking motorboat!"

"I know! It's…it's so exciting!" May giggled.

"Damn. I better watch out. You're becoming a _beast _in these challenges!" Takuya teased.

"No, I'm not!" May laughed. She jokingly pushed the Frontier away from her. "You're exaggerating again, Takuya!"

"Yeah, you used to be this cute girl-next-door, but now you're some sort of exotic challenge machine!" Takuya joked. "I'm on to you!"

"All kidding aside, I have something to talk to you about." May said, using a more solemn tone of voice. The wide smile on her face faded away.

"We're alone." Takuya nodded his head. "And I'm all ears."

"I think we should vote out Drew." May whispered. She scanned his face for his reaction. "What do you think?"

"Hell yeah!" Takuya laughed. He clapped his hands in delight. "You know what, May? I think it's the best damn idea in the world!"

"Wait. Aren't you like…angry at James?" May asked, narrowing her eyes at the Frontier suspiciously. "Are you sure this is okay with you? Is it okay if we…we won't vote him out until the Final Four?"

"Yes. He…he's uh, he's not a threat." Takuya cleared his throat.

"I'm glad you're so understanding!" May laughed.

"Well, _I _am glad that you're so smart!" Takuya grinned. "I really thought you were brainwashed by those boys in your…_alliance_." Takuya held up his hands and quoted the word "alliance" as he said it. May shook her head and chuckled. "But I know you'd see through them! I just know it!"

"So, it's a deal? You have no problems with voting Drew out?" May asked.

"Let's shake on it." Takuya extended his right hand to the Pokemon Coordinator. She grabbed it and smiled. "I promise."

"A promise is a promise." May grinned.

_**Takuya: **May and I had an alliance way back, but I think it's really weird. Sometimes, we're together. Sometimes, we're not. It's like we're dating and we have an on-and-off relationship, you know? Anyway, we're back together again. I hope it lasts this time, because I feel really bad lying to her before. She's a…a sensitive girl. I still think she's awesome though. _

The athletic Frontier ran his hand through his hair. He laughed.

_**Takuya: **And on a completely unrelated note, she's hot as hell._

"Yeah, baby! Drew is gonna get his ass served on a platter!" Takuya laughed. He paused for a few seconds as his laughter subsided. "Wait, we have the votes secured right?"

"I'm trying to convince TK. He's probably going to be the swing vote," explained May. "Don't worry. I'm working _really_, _really_ hard to make him see the bigger picture."

"I see." Takuya nodded. He had a mischievous smile on his boyish face. "Let me know if there's anything I can do."

"Actually, there is one thing." May smiled. "I…I'd like to extend my deal with you."

"Huh?" Takuya grunted.

"I want to make a Final Two agreement with you, Takuya." May continued. Her smile grew wider and more confident as she spoke each word. "Let's promise to take each other to the Final Two."

Takuya felt a rush of emotions arising within him. He felt startled that May just proposed to take him to the Final Two. At the same time, he was also delighted. But it was the third emotion – guilt – that Takuya felt the most confused about. The athletic Frontier could still remember the Final Two pact he made with James yesterday. That was the original plan, but now there was a new option available in front of him. Takuya didn't know if he should accept the deal, even if he wouldn't be completely loyal to May. He was hesitant to respond back.

"I…I'd uh, I'd love to." Takuya forced a weak smile on his face. "I mean, that's amazing! Watch out world, May and Takuya in the Final Two!"

"Thank you _so _much, Takuya!" May gasped. She wrapped her arms around Takuya and embraced him in a friendly hug. "You…you're awesome. I know I can count on you."

"How can I say no to you?" Takuya laughed.

"I hate to ask you this, but…" May muttered into Takuya's ear. She still had her arms around his body, but her grip on his shoulders was growing tighter. "But are you being honest with me? You…you aren't going to lie to me, right?"

Takuya gulped. Had May taken one glimpse of his face, she would see exactly how guilty and nervous he looked at the moment.

"I won't lie." Takuya confirmed.

_**May: **He says he's honest with me, but I…I still can't trust Takuya with all my heart. But then again, I don't have that many options left. I'm forced to trust him, whether I like it or not. It's really a gamble at this point._

"Because you disappointed me before, Takuya. And it still hurts me to know that you've lied." May mumbled. She slowly pulled herself away from him. She was trembling. "I…I don't like liars."

"You…you have to trust me." Takuya stammered.

"I do trust you. I just don't want you to lie to me. Not anymore." May said. "So, if there's anything you haven't been honest about, now is the time to tell me."

"I'm a cleansed man." Takuya grinned. "I have no secrets."

A small smile spread across May's face. From her delighted expression, Takuya could tell that it was the answer she was looking for. In his head, Takuya pictured himself breathing a huge sigh of relief. He was safe.

For now.

- - -

It was midnight. Some of the players were sleeping soundly. But not every tribe member was present at camp as one would expect. In the midst of darkness, two players were having a secret rendezvous in the forest. Despite the unusual time, the game of Survivor never stopped for some players. Nobody understood this better than James, who knew that the _real _schemers came out during the night. Ironically, the brooding darkness was also the safest place to scheme and strategize around camp. This was especially true for those who cannot be seen associated together during daytime.

For the past two days, James and Takuya worked hard to maintain the façade that they despised each other. Most of the time, they simply avoided each other. It was the best way to evade any awkward encounters or worse, accidental slip-ups that would blow their covers. The most amount of communication they had were a few silent glares at each other's directions. Even then, those only lasted a few seconds before the two men were forced to turn away, fearing that they'd become too suspicious.

Although their ploy was working so far, James and Takuya soon realized that there was a huge drawback as secret allies pretending to be fake enemies. They had no way of talking to one another without attracting unnecessary attention. And therefore, they had no way of knowing how what progress they have made or what target to go after. It was why Takuya arranged a meeting with James tonight. They needed to talk at least once before tribal council. They needed to know where the other person stood in the alliance.

"Can you see me?" James whispered. Holding a flashlight in his hand, he was scanning the ocean of trees for the athletic Frontier. The weak radius of light was barely enough to illuminate his hands, so it was extremely difficult to detect Takuya in the darkness. "Where are you?"

"Dude, I'm on your left. Anyway, it doesn't matter. We just need to talk, we don't need to see each other," muttered Takuya.

"Right." James nodded. He cautiously waved his flashlight to his left, but he still could not see Takuya. "How's our plan?"

"May wants to vote Drew out." Takuya reported.

"And Drew wants to vote May out," said James.

The Team Rocket member finally located Takuya with his flashlight. Although his figure was barely visible, James could identify a toothy grin on Takuya's face. The two men shared a moment of tranquil silence with each other. And then, they snickered.

"Everything is going according to plan." James chuckled softly. "It's soooooo perfect!"

"They don't suspect a thing," boasted Takuya.

_**Takuya: **Right now, I'm set for finals. I…I can picture May, James, and myself in the Final Three. All I need to do is lose the final immunity challenge, so I won't have to break my deal with either of them. On paper, that's what I should do anyway. But I won't lose that challenge on purpose. I don't throw challenges. That's not my thing._

Takuya shook his head. He smiled sheepishly at the cameras.

_**Takuya: **To be honest, I feel more loyal to James than I do with May. Uh, don't get me wrong…she's a great girl and everything. But James and I have been through so much together. It's only fitting if we end up sitting next to each other in the finals. That's how much I value my friendship with him…and I know James feels the same way._

"If we pull this off, it's gonna be one of the best moves in the entire game," giggled Takuya.

"Yeah, it's going to be pretty up there!" James laughed. He turned to Takuya with a bright smile. "So, just to confirm…we're voting out May, right?"

"What? No, no…May is cool with us." Takuya frowned in disapproval. "We need to vote Drew out."

"I don't…uh, I don't know about that." James muttered.

"What do you mean?" Takuya asked. He narrowed his eyes at the nervous Team Rocket member. "Drew is the biggest manipulator in this game. It's obvious that he should be the first to go."

"May is more manipulative in a…a more subtle manner. She's a sneaky little bugger," explained James.

"Are you kidding me?" Takuya scoffed.

"I'm being serious, Takuya!" James said. "We need to vote out May first!"

"Oh my god, I can't believe you're saying this to me." Takuya scoffed. "You…you've fallen for it. It's Drew. He brainwashed you too, didn't he?"

Takuya slapped his hands on top of his head.

"Wake up and smell the coffee, James!" Takuya exclaimed. "Drew is far more dangerous to us than May ever will be!"

"I don't understand why…why you're always defending May. Every time we want to vote her out, you…you're always there to protect her." James muttered.

"That's because she's not a threat!" Takuya argued.

"You've been saying that for weeks. And here she is, in the Final Five." James' voice trembled with a mixture of nervousness and discomfort. "And from the looks of things, she's going to make it even further. She could possibly _win _this game."

"Buddy, buddy…listen to me." Takuya shook his head. "You don't know how ridiculous you sound, right now."

"You don't want to admit it, but it's true." James said. "She has been manipulating you…so that you could do…do all her dirty work."

"I'm not being used by anyone!" Takuya snapped.

"She made you throw the reward challenge for her today!" James argued, "It was soooooo obvious, Takuya!"

"What are you talking about? She won that challenge fair and square!" Takuya stared at James in sheer disbelief. "Is that what you think? You…you think she manipulated me to throw the challenge to her?"

"I think she persuaded you to let her win the challenge." James suggested, "And in return, she'll join an alliance with you."

"Stop making stuff up!" Takuya shouted.

"Admit it, Takuya! Can you look me in the face and…and say that you don't have an alliance with her?" James asked.

Takuya didn't reply back. He glared angrily at the ground.

"Answer me, Takuya." James repeated. "Do you or do you not have an alliance with May?"

"Yeah." Takuya replied. He stared defiantly at James. "Yeah, I do."

"Then, I'm sorry. I have to vote out May." James muttered.

_**James: **I can't vote Drew out. Takuya wants me to, but I can't do it. Not…not when I know he's in an alliance with May. I'm not a gambler. And I can't risk my entire game just because Takuya says he is loyal to me. Actions speak louder than words. The only way I'm guaranteed to have Takuya's allegiance is if…if May is taken out of the equation._

"You're the one who I'm loyal to, James." Takuya mumbled, shaking his head in disbelief. "You of all people should know that."

"But I don't know that, Takuya." James said. He closed his eyes and sighed. "As long as you keep May in the game, I'll always doubt where your loyalty stands with me."

"Don't do this, James. Don't do this…" Takuya's voice was almost reduced to a whiny whimper. "For the sake of our friendship, don't vote May out…"

"I'm voting her out _because _she's the one who's tearing our friendship apart," replied James. "I…I'm not voting out Drew at the next tribal council. Let's settle for May."

"No, no, no…I can't agree to that." Takuya shook his head. He glared at the Team Rocket member. "James, if you don't vote for May, then I won't be able to trust you." He paused. His voice actually cracked a little as he spoke the following words. "And I can't promise to be your friend anymore."

"I'm sorry, Takuya." James said.

James turned off his flashlight, but not before he caught a glimpse of the rueful expression on the Frontier's face. Remorsefully, the Team Rocket member began heading back to the shelter. Takuya was left abandoned in the darkness, pondering where it all went wrong. What began as a fake argument had now turned into an actual fight. And now, there was no more acting. No more alliances. No more friendships.

Takuya was alone again.

- - -

**DAY 36**

TK could sense that something changed in the tribe dynamics. Most noticeably, his alliance was falling apart right in front of him. May had approached him to vote out Drew, and vice versa. No matter how hard TK tried to keep the Huntail alliance together, it was imploding without any control. Everybody was rebelling and turning against each other. All TK wanted was a Final Three consisted of Huntail members, but that goal looked less likely to happen as each day passed.

Still, the blonde was persistent that he could mend his alliance together, no matter how shatter it might appear. This morning, TK arranged an emergency meeting between the three alliance members. If they could talk things out and clear any misunderstandings amongst them, TK believed there was still a slim chance they could work together once more.

"Are we still voting for Takuya tonight?" TK asked.

Drew and May exchanged glances with each other. Neither of them replied back. TK sighed, looking very concerned about the unresponsive expressions.

"We talked about this a few days ago. And we _promised _each other that we'll vote Takuya out at the next tribal council," said TK. He eyed both of the Coordinators with doubt. "Does this deal still hold true?"

"I'm fine with voting Takuya out," said Drew, shrugging his shoulders as if it didn't matter to him.

May pressed her lips together. She looked hesitant to reply back to the two men as they turned towards her.

"Why Takuya?" May asked.

"Why _not _Takuya?" Drew smirked smugly. May shot a disdainful glare at him, but he turned away just in time.

"We were supposed to vote him out three days ago, but it was you who changed your mind in the last second." TK explained. He tried to sound as neutral as possible, although a hint of annoyance was beginning to surface in his voice. "We went over this a lot of times in the past, May. He's an enormous threat to all three of us."

"I know, I know." May said. She tilted her head slightly to her left. "But I don't want to vote him out."

"Go figure," scoffed Drew.

"I…I don't think it's the best option for us." May continued, ignoring the scornful remark from Drew. "I think we should target James instead."

"Voting James out only benefits you, May," said Drew.

"I don't agree." May muttered. She glared angrily at the Pokemon Coordinator standing in front of him. "James has won more immunity challenges than Takuya. People underestimate him all the time, but he _is _the best athlete in our tribe."

"James is meek and harmless. What can he do to harm us? Dig a hole?" Drew rolled his eyes. "On the other hand, Takuya will make our lives absolutely miserable if we keep him around. That boy just won't give up."

"It's true. The most dangerous player is one with nothing to lose." TK nodded his head.

"I…I'm not convinced." May mumbled, shaking her head in disagreement.

"I think you're getting a little _too _confident, May. If you keep on protecting Takuya, it's only going to come back and burn you." Drew warned, "You're basically attaching yourself to a bomb that will explode at any time."

"I'm _not _going to vote out Takuya. I've already made up my mind." May said. She stared at TK as she said this, hoping that he would catch her hint. "You know who I'm voting for." She paused as she turned her gaze towards Drew. "I think we should vote out the biggest backstabber in our tribe."

"If you can see it from my standpoint, you'd realize how ironic your statement was." Drew chuckled.

"Game on, Drew." May smiled sweetly at the Pokemon Coordinator.

TK sighed in frustration. This meeting wasn't going anywhere near the direction he wanted.

"Please don't argue, guys." TK said, forcing a weak smile on his face. "Let's focus on the positives."

"Like it or not, I didn't betray you guys," said May.

"And the sky isn't blue…" Drew muttered under his breath.

"Look, I don't know what happened. But I notice there's some animosity within our group." TK said, choosing his words very carefully as he spoke. May and Drew glared at each other without saying anything. "I think this is the perfect time to talk things out. Let's sort our differences here."

"Don't you think there's an obvious traitor in our group, TK?" Drew asked the blonde.

"The three of us have to stick together!" TK said, strengthening the forcefulness in his voice. He frowned in disapproval. "Traitors or not, I don't want Huntail to break apart."

"I'm really sorry, TK. I've made up my mind." May said.

"Nothing I say or do will change it?" TK asked hopefully. May shook her head. "Well then, at least consider an alternative option…"

"She's trying to blackmail us to vote her way again," said Drew. He smirked. "Don't you have another trick up your sleeves, May?"

"It's time for the challenge, you guys." May said, ignoring Drew's remark. She averted her gaze from the two men. "Let's talk about this afterwards."

TK sighed. Nothing was resolved in the last couple minutes. If anything, the relationship between the three of them only grew worse after this meeting. May still wanted to vote Drew out and the feeling was mutual both ways. It almost seemed impossible for the Huntail alliance to revive itself again.

_**TK: **I don't want to give up. I think it's still possible to unite the three of us together. We can't fall apart that easily. I…I just don't understand why we aren't voting Takuya out. He's our common enemy! We should be going after him, not each other._

TK frowned at the cameras.

_**TK: **Anyway, I think I may be able to convince May to switch her vote. But first, I need to make sure that Takuya doesn't win the immunity challenge. If he wins, then it's over. That'll be the final straw for our alliance. So, when all is said and done, it's crucial that Takuya doesn't win immunity today._

Unfortunately for TK Takaishi, some things were easier said than done.

- - -

As the players arrived at the immunity challenge today, one person clearly stood out from the rest. There was a radiant smile on Takuya's boyish face, one that was bursting with enthusiasm and excitement for the upcoming challenge. While the other players looked nervous (on in Drew's case, a little bored), the athletic Frontier seemed the most ecstatic about competing. As always, he felt confident about his chances today. Takuya could feel it in the air; luck was on his side today. It better be.

"Welcome to the immunity challenge," said Professor Birch. "First things first, I need the necklace back."

James nodded his head obediently. He removed the immunity necklace and handed it over to Professor Birch.

"Immunity is back up for grabs." Professor Birch said. He flashed a homely smile at the five players. "For today's challenge, you'll be competing in a…" He paused as his smile grew wider. "A trivia challenge."

TK beamed at the prospect of a mental active challenge. His chances of winning just got a little higher.

"There are four rounds to this challenge. Every round, I'll ask you a question about something that has happened in this game." Professor Birch explained, "The answer is _always _a number. Once I ask the question, the five of you will go into the forest and try to find the number of Pokeballs that correspond with your answer."

The beefy professor paused to catch his breath before continuing.

"These Pokeballs are randomly scattered in the forest behind you." Professor Birch said, gesturing his hand straight ahead. "Once you think you have the right number of Pokeballs, come back here and present me with your Pokeballs. I'll tell you whether you got the right number or not."

He gave another brief pause.

"If you have the right number, you move on to the next round. If you're wrong, you're eliminated from the challenge and the next round starts. Everyone else will be able to compete in the next round instead," said Professor Birch. "If everyone gets it right, then the last person to give me a Pokemon will be eliminated."

"So, one person will be eliminated each round no matter what?" May asked.

"Yes." Professor Birch replied, "The last player remaining after four rounds will win immunity, guaranteed a spot in the Final Four. If there aren't any more questions, let's get started."

Professor Birch took out a deck of cue cards from his lab coat. He shuffled them in his hand before he randomly pulled one out.

"The first question," Professor Birch read. "Out of all the remaining players here, how many did not compete in a reward challenge before the merge?" His eyes swiftly shifted to the players. "Go!"

At the signal, the five players raced to the forest. Their objective was to retrieve the same amount of Pokeballs as the answer of the question. Drew, who often studied trivial game statistics in his head, immediately knew that the answer was _three_ – only Takuya and Drew participated in a reward challenge before the merge happened.

The Pokemon Coordinator looked around, scanning his enigmatic green eyes everywhere in the forest. In theory, the red and white spheres should stand out in a background of green and brown. But as Drew experienced himself, it was always more difficult to find something when under pressure. Answering the questions would be the easy part for him, but finding the right amount of Pokeballs was a different matter.

"Got one!" James said to himself. He plucked a Pokeball that was hanging underneath a branch and shoved it in his pockets. "I need one more…"

Nearly a minute later, James retrieved his second Pokeball, hidden discreetly in a thick bush. The Team Rocket member nodded as he counted over his collection. _Two, yep…that's right_. Thinking that he had the right number of Pokeballs, James ran back to Professor Birch for the tally.

"I'm sorry, James. That is incorrect." Professor Birch shook his head sadly at the Team Rocket member. "The right answer is three. You're eliminated from the challenge. Everyone else moves on to the next round."

"Oh no…" James muttered.

Before the second round began, the four remaining players were retrieved from the forest. Professor Birch instructed them to drop all their Pokeballs on the ground. What they collected previously could not be carried over to the next round. Therefore, all the players were competing on an even playing field at the beginning of the new round.

"Second question…how many players were unanimously voted out of the game?" Professor Birch asked.

As soon as he heard the question, Takuya was already running in the forest. He tried to recall each tribal council outcome in his head, but he found it difficult to think _and _run at the same time. He almost tripped on a rock, but Takuya caught himself before making a painful fall on the ground.

_Damn it, I've got to concentrate! _Takuya cursed to himself in his head. _Let's see…Casey was voted out unanimously…and…and…who else?_

Before he could figure the answer out, Takuya sighted a Pokeball near a tree trunk. He grabbed it before he resumed his thought process.

_And then there's Delia…we all voted for her back then. Right? _Takuya thought. For a few seconds, he was second-guessing himself, but he quickly shook the doubt out of his head. _Yeah, I'm positive. Positive._

A short while later, Takuya spotted two Pokeballs hanging on top of a tall elm tree. The athletic Frontier gave a forceful kick at the tree and both Pokeballs dropped on the ground. Takuya grinned as he picked them up from the ground.

_Just what I needed…three Pokeballs. _Takuya thought to himself. _Mimi's boot makes three. Yep, that's the right answer._

When Takuya made his way back to Professor Birch, he was surprised to see TK standing next to the Professor. Judging from the content smile on the blonde's face, Takuya figured that TK already moved on the next round. Nevertheless, Takuya ignored his bruised ego and ran over to Professor Birch, presenting him with his results.

"Three is the right number. You move on to the next round, Takuya." Professor Birch nodded. "There's only one spot left. It's a race between Drew and May."

A minute or so later, Drew returned with three Pokeballs in his possession. Thus, May was eliminated from the challenge. Only three players remained.

"Next question," Professor Birch said, "In what day was the first immunity challenge held?"

Of the three men, the first to return was Takuya. He returned with three Pokemon, which was the right answer. He was now one of the finalists in the challenge.

A few minutes later, TK arrived with three Pokeballs as well. Drew was out of the challenge. It was now a competition between Takuya and TK for the coveted immunity necklace.

"This is for immunity." Professor Birch stated in a very solemn voice. "How many votes did Cassidy receive when Takato was voted out?"

By now, the players noticed a very evident pattern in the questions. Once again, the answer to the professor's question was _three_. Both Takuya and TK knew this answer, so the competition came down to who can find three Pokeballs first. This task wasn't as easy as it sounded, since most of the visible Pokeballs were already taken in previous rounds. Takuya and TK had to rummage through the forest if they wanted to find anything at all.

Five minutes later, Takuya Kanbara found two Pokeballs. He just needed one more to complete a full set.

And then, he saw it.

In the river nearby, there was a small Pokeball caught in between two of the rocks. An enthusiastic grin spread across the Frontier's face as he ran over and retrieved the Pokeball. It was his third and final Pokeball that he needed for the victory.

An eager Takuya dashed out of the forest, hoping he was fast enough to beat his other competitor, TK Takaishi. The Frontier lost a bit of time getting lost in the forest, but he eventually found his way out. The sight of Professor Birch was like a glowing light at the end of the tunnel. Takuya could also see the immunity necklace in the professor's hand. In a matter of seconds, that was _his_.

In the midst of his excitement, Takuya accidentally dropped one of his Pokeball on the ground. When he bent down to pick it up, he must have reacted too slowly, because another hand stretched out and grabbed the Pokeball before Takuya could even touch it. Shocked, Takuya immediately turned to the thief who stole his Pokeball. It was TK Takaishi, who flashed a wide grin at the Frontier before he ran towards the professor.

"Hey, give it back! That was mine!" Takuya shouted as he chased after the blonde.

"Finders keepers, Takuya." Drew laughed. He, along with the other eliminated players, had been watching TK sneak up behind Takuya this entire time. And now, to see TK steal the victory right under Takuya's nose was going to be absolutely priceless.

But Takuya was determined to get back what was rightfully his. He picked up his pace and closed the very short gap between himself and the blonde. And then, in a moment of desperation, he tackled the blonde with his entire body. TK fell to the ground, but he still clutched his Pokeball very tightly in his hand.

"Give it back!" Takuya shouted. He tried ripping TK's hands apart, but the persistent blonde was not about to let go of his Pokeball.

"St…st…" TK was having a difficult time pronouncing his words. He was breathing very heavily as he spoke. "Stop…"

"Don't make me punch you. I swear I'll do it!" Takuya snapped angrily. "Come on, give it back to me!"

"N…no." TK grunted.

"Stop that! Stop immediately!" Professor Birch shouted. He was some distance away, but he could detect that a heated problem arose between TK and Takuya. It looked like an unpleasant fight was about to erupt. And he was right.

By the time Professor Birch arrived, Takuya already planted his right fist on TK's left cheek. The Frontier raised his hand in the air, looking as if he was about to deliver a second punch at the blonde.

"I said stop!" Professor Birch yelled angrily. He pulled Takuya away just in time. "No fighting!"

"I got it, professor," muttered Takuya. He turned to the professor, holding up a scratched Pokemon. In his other hand, he was carrying two others. "I have what I need."

Professor Birch stared at Takuya's hands for a few seconds. Reluctantly, he gave a nod of head.

"Takuya wins immunity." Professor Birch announced without enthusiasm. He handed the immunity necklace to Takuya, which the Frontier gratefully accepted.

"Yeah!" Takuya shouted, pumping his fist excitedly in the air. "Final Four! I made it! I made it!"

Takuya's celebration would have lasted longer, but he soon noticed that none of the other players shared his enthusiasm. James, May and Drew all got up from their seats and ran past Takuya without uttering even one word of congratulations. Feeling a little miffed, Takuya turned around. He was surprised to see the group of players, including Professor Oak, huddling around TK Takaishi. The blonde was still lying on the ground.

"Hey, what's going on?" Takuya asked. He approached the crowd with caution. "Is something wrong?"

"Oh my god…" May muttered. Her words were not directed at Takuya, but a mixture of fright and panic was noticeable in her shaky voice. She put her arm on Drew's shoulder, leaning on the short Pokemon Coordinator for support. "Oh my god."

"Did something happen?" Takuya asked.

"He's bleeding, Takuya!" James cried. Only when Takuya looked at his face could he see that tears were swelling in James' eyes. "TK's leg…it's bleeding!"

As soon as he heard those words, Takuya froze on the spot.

"Can you move your leg, TK?" Professor Birch asked in a gentle voice. The husky professor kneeled on the floor, examining the blood coming out of Takuya's left leg. He looked uncertain if he should put his hand on TK's leg or not.

"It…it hurts." TK winced.

"Stay calm. The medical team is coming." Professor Birch told him. He turned towards the other players. "Clamperl, please go back to camp. We'll inform you about the status of the game later on."

Some of the players nodded their heads and turned away. Only Takuya remained still on his spot. He found himself unable to move any part of his body. He could not move. He could not think. He could only feel – and the only emotion Takuya felt right now was fear.

"Let's go, Takuya…" James muttered, tugging on Takuya's arm. The Frontier shook him off.

"Somebody tell me what's going on!" Takuya demanded.

"When you pushed him on the ground, TK…he…he must've cut his knee on a rock or something," mumbled Drew. "You were so focused on getting that Pokeball! You didn't…didn't even know what you did to him."

"Wh…what?" Takuya stammered. "Is he going to be okay?"

"We don't know, Takuya." James replied solemnly.

"Please don't…don't' tell it's _that _leg." Takuya said, widening his eyes in fright. "No…"

"Yes, it's the same leg that he broke a few weeks ago." Drew nodded.

The immunity necklace slipped from Takuya's limb hand and fell to the ground.

Right now, immunity was the last thing on his mind.

- - -

Few words were exchanged when the Clamperl tribe returned to their camp. There was nothing to talk about. Most of the players were still in shock over the traumatic outcome of the challenge. They just wanted to be alone and bury themselves in their anxiety, so they hid in desolate areas scattered across camp. For some players, they can only cope with tragedy through silence and isolation. It was the only way they knew how.

For May, she found herself walking aimlessly around the island. Staring up at the gloomy grey sky, she tried appreciating the majesty of Mother Nature, just as TK the nature lover would. May thought this technique would ease her mind, but her trembling and her tears indicated that it was clearly ineffective. The emotional Pokemon Coordinator was still paranoid, still worried, and still as lost as ever. As if her feelings weren't chaotic as they were, May did not look forward to the impending tribal council in a couple of hours.

But at this stage, it was unclear if TK's injury would cause tribal council to be cancelled tonight. Even worse, May didn't know if she should be wishing _against _this or not.

_**May: **Oh my god, a horrible…accident happened today. TK hurt his leg at the immunity challenge and…and we don't know if he's okay or not. I'm trying to stay optimistic. I'm trying not to freak out. But I'm really worried about him. I hope he's going to be okay._

May swallowed nervously. She flashed a shaky frown at the cameras.

_**May: **In the guidelines, it states that if a player cannot attend a challenge or tribal council due to any non-game related circumstances, they're removed from the game by default. So, if TK's condition is so severe that he can't…can't go to tribal council, he'll…be kicked out of the game. And that just sucks._

For nearly half an hour, May walked around the island in circles. She eventually stumbled upon a sulky Takuya, who was hiding in the shelter. He was covered underneath a blanket, although his feet were sticking out. May sighed softly under her breath. Out of everybody here, the incident left an impact on Takuya the most.

"Hey." May said as she sat down next to Takuya. He did not acknowledge her presence, so she continued. "Do you want to talk?"

"Leave me alone." A stiff response came from the Frontier under the blanket.

"Takuya, you can't act like this for the rest of the game." May sighed.

In one swift motion, she yanked the blanket away from Takuya. The Frontier was curled up on the floor, his long skinny arms wrapped around his knees.

"I messed up bad." Takuya muttered. "I…I suck."

"It was an accident. It's not your fault, Takuya," said May in her most genuine voice. "Don't…don't blame yourself for what happened."

Takuya slowly pulled his body from the floor. He flashed a gloomy frown at May before he buried his face in his knees. Just from one brief glimpse of his puffy red eyes, she could tell that the Frontier has been crying.

"I'm a horrible person." Takuya mumbled under his breath. He could barely talk without his shaky voice cracking up. "I…I don't deserve to win immunity. I don't even deserve to be here."

"You won that challenge fair and square, Takuya." May said.

"No, I didn't…" Takuya shook his head slowly, but May gently placed a hand on his shoulder and stopped the Frontier from talking.

"This isn't the Takuya that I know." May said, flashing a weak smile at the Frontier. "I don't like what happened to TK, but I hate to see you act like this."

"He just recovered, May. He was so happy about it too." Takuya said, gulping. "And then, I went and…and broke his leg again."

"You didn't do anything, Takuya." May said. She drew a huge exasperated sigh. "It was an unfortunate accident, but it wasn't intentional. Nobody wanted that to happen to TK."

"If I didn't push him, he wouldn't have fall." Takuya muttered.

"You have to get over it. You have to think positive." May said. She grabbed Takuya's right hand and squeezed it tightly. "Where's your energy? Where's your fire?"

Takuya tried shaking May's hand away, but she wouldn't let go.

"You have a lot of faults, Takuya. But one of the things I love about you is your ambition. You put a hundred percent in everything you do. You're a true competitor." May continued, "If you haven't put all your effort in that immunity challenge, I would've looked less of you as a person. Because that's not the Takuya I know. He will never disappoint me by giving up. He will never disappoint me by letting some…some incident extinguish his competitive fire."

"You're bullshitting." Takuya grunted.

"When I first met you, I took an instant liking to you. It's because you were so…so enthusiastic. You radiate this warmth and energy. Whenever I'm around you, I feel motivated. I feel encouraged. And for the first time in a long while, I feel good about myself." May said. She smiled sweetly at the Frontier. "You have an amazing ability to make people smile. That's what you do best. And I…I don't want you to give that up."

"May, I can't…I can't do anything for him." Takuya muttered.

"Before you can do anything, you first have to snap out of it." May said, letting Takuya's hand go from her clutch. "You're a warrior, Takuya. Warriors never surrender. You have to fight back."

"I…I'm…I…" Takuya stuttered. He lowered his head in shame. "I don't know what to say."

"You don't have to say anything. In fact, I like you a little better when you're not shooting off your mouth," said May.

It took a few seconds before a small dainty smile spread across Takuya's face. He glanced at May, looking amused.

"I knew that would make you smile." May giggled.

"Thanks, May. I needed that." Takuya said, smiling weakly at the Coordinator.

"I just don't want to see you unhappy." May explained.

"I can't believe I cried. How embarrassing," said Takuya as he wiped his hands against his puffy eyes.

"And it only took you thirty six days to break down." May smiled sweetly at the Frontier. "Welcome to the club."

"The last few days…no, the last few weeks have been so tough on me." Takuya said, shaking his head. "I lost Zoe. I lost Rika. And I've lost James…"

"You can still patch up with James," suggested May.

"No, no…you don't understand." Takuya continued shaking his head. "James and I…we staged an argument. We didn't want you guys to know that we still have an alliance." He paused and looked sheepishly at May. "And…and I thought I could convince him to vote Drew out, you know, just in case TK…TK doesn't vote with us. But I lost him. I lost him forever."

"Oh…" May said. She thought over Takuya's words for a few seconds before a genuine smile spread across her face. "I guess it's just the two of us then."

"May, I'm sorry that I…I didn't try hard enough." Takuya sniffled.

"Don't give up yet. We might still have TK's vote." May said. Before Takuya can open his mouth to dispute, May cut him off. "And don't tell me that TK won't be at tribal council. Because I _know _he will. I know he's okay."

"How can you be so sure?" Takuya asked.

"Just call it…" May grinned, "A woman's intuition."

- - -

Attending tonight's tribal council was actually good news for the Clamperl tribe, since this confirmed that TK was in a condition well enough to continue this game. As much as everybody wanted to make it to the Final Four, none of them wanted to achieve that goal at the expense of TK's wellbeing. This sentiment was evident when the Clamperl tribe arrived at tribal council tonight and burst into a unanimous cheer when they saw TK sitting on a bench already. The blonde was wearing a pair of black track pants, which covered up any evidence of his injured leg.

"I know what you're all thinking. TK is okay." Professor Birch announced, "None of his bones got broken or anything like that."

"That's a relief!" James sighed.

"TK, would you like to speak about it to your tribe?" Professor Birch asked.

"I'm sorry that I worried you guys. It was just a…a minor cut." TK smiled modestly at the players. But most of them knew TK well enough to know that he downplayed his actual injury so they wouldn't be worried. "Thanks for your support."

"We're just glad you're okay…again." May smiled.

"With that out of the way, let's get tribal council started." Professor Birch clapped his hands together. "We'll now bring out the members of our jury."

Cassidy, JP, Casey and Rika came out and sat down on the jury benches. None of them were smiling, although Rika's face features softened when she saw the immunity necklace around Takuya's neck.

"Now, the jury members don't know what happened at the immunity challenge today." Professor Birch said, "Would anyone like to give them a brief overview about it?"

"It was me." Takuya voluntarily raised his arm in the air. "I got too aggressive at the immunity challenge today and I…I did some things that I regretted." He paused and shot an apologetic glance at TK. "I'm really sorry."

"It's okay." TK nodded in comprehension.

"Please elaborate, Takuya." Professor Birch said.

"I dropped a Pokeball on the ground and TK took it, so I wanted to get it back. I…uh, I tackled him on the ground, but he still won't let go. So…I kind of punched him in the face so I could get my Pokeball back…" Takuya said.

A few members of the jury looked at each other in astonishment and began whispering. Professor Birch quickly shushed them.

"Takuya, you're aware that physically injuring another player is against the rules, right?" Professor Birch asked.

"Yes. I'm really sorry," said Takuya, hanging his head in shame.

"The producers and I have discussed about removing you from this game, Takuya, under the guidelines that you made inappropriate contact with another player." Professor Birch explained, "However, TK Takaishi insisted that this issue should be dropped."

"We just got in the moment, that's all." TK interjected.

"You don't need to defend him," quipped Drew.

Professor Birch shot him a glare and silenced the Pokemon Coordinator.

"Since the victim didn't file a complaint against the offender, in addition to the producers' acknowledgement that this challenge could get very physical in nature, Takuya is acquitted of his charges." Professor Birch concluded.

"Thank you," mumbled Takuya. He looked hesitant for a moment before he raised his hand in the air again. "And uh, I'd like to add something, if I may?"

"Go ahead." Professor Birch replied.

"I want to give my immunity necklace away to TK, because I…I don't think I deserve it." Takuya said.

"I don't want it-" TK said, but he was interrupted by the professor's voice.

"I'm sorry, but that's against the rules." Professor Birch responded in a stern tone. "And you've broken enough rules as it is already."

Takuya obediently nodded his head. He lowered his arm from the air.

"Okay, let's get to the vote." Professor Birch said, "Since Takuya has immunity, none of you can cast a vote against him." He paused and gestured his hand to the Team Rocket member. "James, you're up first."

James got up from his seat and headed towards the podium. He picked up the black ink marker and wrote May's name on the parchment. He held it in front of the cameras and smiled.

"To be honest, I've been waiting for quite some time to cast this vote! You're a sweet girl, but uh…I feel as though you never respected me in this game. Not just as a player, but also as a person. Like, I've noticed you never talk to me unless you have a favour to ask me. And no, I don't sit well with that."

He shrugged his shoulders and dumped the vote in the urn.

"But it's okay. I don't have a lot of respect for you either. I think you're very conniving and manipulative, but you try to hide it behind your pretty face." He paused and then shrugged his shoulders again. "And sorry, but I'm afraid there's only enough room for _one _pretty face on this tribe."

Takuya was the next person to vote. He didn't hesitate as he scribbled a certain Pokemon Coordinator's name down on the parchment.

"I'm voting for Drew because I don't like him." Takuya explained as he held up his vote to the cameras. "What an ass."

Drew received his second vote of the night, predictably from May. She smiled sweetly as she wrote four letters on the parchment.

"When all is said and done, you're an okay guy. I wish you the best of luck, Drew."

And unsurprisingly, Drew cast a vote against his rival May.

"Nice try, but the cat always catches the mouse. See exhibit A." Drew grinned as he held up his three-lettered vote to the cameras. "I know I'm not going tonight. Unlike you, I've spent the last thirty six days winning over TK's trust. And all my work will be evident when he votes with me tonight."

He paused as he folded his vote in half.

"You see, May, the difference between you and me is that I'm a ruthless player and you're not. You came here to make friends, but I came here to make alliances. You came here trusting too many people, but I came here trusting nobody at all."

Drew dropped his vote into the urn. He looked up at the cameras and smirked.

"You came here to get fifth place, but I came here to win."

TK Takaishi was the last person to vote tonight. He got up and began walking over to the voting shrine. The limp on his leg was very noticeable, but TK did not complain even once. Many of the jury members cast sympathetic gazes as the blonde crossed the floor. Even Cassidy looked somewhat empathetic, which was a rare emotion for the normally feisty vixen.

Finally, TK arrived at the shrine.

- - -

After tallying the votes, Professor Birch came back with the voting urn in his hands. In a few minutes, another player would be voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands.

"Once I read the votes, the person voted out will be asked to leave tribal council area immediately," said Professor Birch solemnly. He gave a soft sigh as he opened the lid of the voting urn. "I'll read the votes."

He pulled out the first parchment and unfolded it.

"First vote…" Professor Birch said, turning the piece of parchment over. "Drew."

The Pokemon Coordinator nodded his head once. He stared at the girly handwriting on the parchment and immediately recognized that this was May's vote. He smiled thinly at her, but she didn't respond back.

"Second vote…" Professor Birch turned over the second parchment. "May."

She clasped her hands over her mouth, out of nervousness more than shock. She was not too surprised to see her name written down tonight, although the sight of those three letters made her feel very queasy in the stomach.

"Drew," said Professor Birch as he read the third vote.

Takuya grinned. He nudged May in the shoulder, hoping to encourage her to stay optimistic. She could merely muster a weak smile at him.

"May." Professor Birch declared, "That's two votes for Drew and two votes for May."

The bottom of TK's lips curled to a disapproving frown. The blonde knew he cast the deciding vote tonight, since only his vote had not been read out yet. The fact that one of his ally's fates was sealed by TK made him a little uncomfortable, and also a little guilty.

_We had such a good thing going too. _TK thought to himself in his head. _We had an alliance. We could have been the Final Three._

But it wasn't meant to be.

TK bit his lips and turned away. He was not anticipating the announcement at all. From the corner of his eyes, TK caught a glimpse of the professor's hand reaching into the urn. A vote was pulled out. Professor Birch unfolded it. And a fate was sealed.

"The twelfth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands…"

Professor Birch paused for a few seconds before he turned the vote over.

"May." Professor Birch said, smiling sadly at the female Pokemon Coordinator. "Please bring me your torch."

Sighing softly, May slowly got up from her seat. She nodded her head as if she was trying to reassure herself that everything was okay. Before she walked to the Professor, Takuya grabbed her hand and squeezed it. May smiled faintly at the Frontier and mumbled something inaudible. And then, she walked over the Professor with her torch. The flame was barely lit.

"May, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch announced as he snuffed the flame on her torch. "It's time for you to go."

"Bye, guys." May said, waving her hand at the Clamperl tribe.

Drew watched the female Coordinator turn around and march into the forest. Within a few seconds, he could barely distinguish her figure from the shadows of the trees. In a blink of an eye, he could not see May anymore. Drew smirked a little to himself.

"Well, this has never happened before in Survivor history. I must admit, I'm surprised to see that the Final Four is consisted of four men," said Professor Birch. He raised an eyebrow at the men. "But remember, there are also four women on the jury. And they'll be the ones deciding who wins the million dollars at the end."

Sitting on the jury benches, JP looked a little miffed at the professor's speech. Either Professor Birch excluded JP from the jury, or he included JP as part of the women. The chubby Frontier wasn't impressed.

"Nonetheless, I'll congratulate the four of you for making it this far in the game. You are the Final Four." Professor Birch said, "Get a good night of sleep. Tomorrow is waiting."

James rose from his seat first. Tonight's results occurred exactly as he had hoped. May was who the Team Rocket member considered as his largest threat, and she was now out of the game. As he went to grab his torch, James smiled proudly at the strong dash of flame in front of him. The fire was symbolism of everything that he worked for in the past thirty six days. To make it to the Final Four was a gigantic accomplishment for him. James couldn't be more thankful.

Feeling slightly less humble about his experience, Drew was the next person to leave his seat. There was a satisfied smirk on his face, almost as if he was silently gloating to an invisible audience. Like James, the arrogant Coordinator got the outcome that he wanted tonight. Although May tried to vote him out, Drew proved that he played the better game, considering that he was still in the game. Now that his biggest hindrance was removed from the game, Drew felt very confident about his chances of winning. The rest of the players were just puppets at his disposal.

TK had some trouble leaving his seat, but he was assisted by James and Drew. TK silently thanked the men as he leaned against them for support. Out of everyone, he suffered the most pain and trauma today, physically _and _mentally. The medical team spent hours patching TK up, running through various tests to make sure that he could still walk (which he could, albeit every step he took was layered with a numbing pain). But nonetheless, TK persevered. The more pain he suffered, the stronger his willpower grew.

Finally, there was Takuya. He was the last person to leave his seat tonight. As he stood up, there was a defiant smile on his boyish face. On first sight, one would assume that the Frontier had no reason to feel jubilant tonight. May's departure marked another loss in Takuya's strategy and another roadblock in his game. Just when he thought things couldn't get any worse, his chances of winning took another nosedive after tonight.

Despite his odds, Takuya felt motivated to play the game. May's elimination did nothing more but fuel his enthusiasm. The competitive Frontier saw himself as a lone Gorebyss warrior battling against three Huntail sharks. And he would never surrender to his enemies.

Even though he was fighting with an army of one, Takuya was still determined to win this war.

- - -

_**May's Final Words**_

Am I disappointed that I'm out of this game? Surprisingly, the answer is no. I feel proud for making it this far. Sure, I'd like to go further, but I'm happy with what I got. May be it was best if I left the game now. Over the past few days, the game brought out a deceitful side of me that I didn't like. I was plotting, I was lying, and I even did a little backstabbing. And I'm not a dishonest person, so I didn't like those aspects of myself. I want the old me back. And it's back!

Other than that, I thought this game was so much fun. Oh my god, I wouldn't trade this experience for anything in the world! Then again, I haven't eaten properly for thirty six days, so my judgment might be a little impaired…

- - -

_**Next Time on Survivor –**_

**The game comes to an end.**   
_Professor Birch: _Survivors ready?  
**Who will win the one million dollars?**  
_Professor Birch: _Go!  
**Will it be Drew, who orchestrated many shocking demises?**  
_Drew: _I played the best game.  
**Will it be James, who scored a perfect tribal council record?**  
_James: _I'm doing this for my friends.  
**Will it be Takuya, who overcame some unbelievable odds?**  
_Takuya: _You can't take me down.  
**Or will it be TK, who endured hurdles like a true survivor?**  
_TK: _Never give up.

**_All this and more on – Episode 13: When Plans Go Haywire_**

- - -

**Author's Notes:** I hope you enjoyed the latest chapter. Just one more chapter to go! Who's your pick to win it all? Review - I'd love to know! Also, don't forget to take the survey for the final episode! 


	13. Episode 13: When Plans Go Haywire

**Survivor: Dewford Islands**  
**By: Gomamon**

_**Last Time on Survivor:**_

_Despite James' betrayal over the Gorebyss alliance, Takuya forgives his ally in hopes of breaking Huntail apart. Initially, the two friends mask their alliance by pretending they had a heated "argument" in front of everybody. While the rest of Clamperl is successfully deceived, problems arise between James and Takuya when they couldn't agree who to vote out. Takuya wants to vote Drew out, while James is determined that May leaves the game. Failing to come to a resolution, the Gorebyss alliance is officially no more._

_Meanwhile, TK finds himself in the middle between May and Drew's campaigns to vote each other out. TK insists that Huntail stays together to the end, but his hopes are dashed when Huntail's common enemy Takuya wins immunity. To make matters worse, the intense challenge worsens the injury on TK's leg. At tribal council, TK is forced to decide his allegiance between May or Drew. In the end, he chooses to vote out May in a 3-2 vote. Now, only four people remain. Who will be the Sole Survivor?_

**Episode Thirteen: When Plans Go Haywire**

**Clamperl:** _DREW_ – _JAMES_ – _TAKUYA_ – _TK_

- - -

**DAY 37**

A vicious thunderstorm struck the Clamperl camp last night, taking the four remaining players by surprise. They grew so accustomed to the sunny days and tropical climate that they sometimes forgot how harsh and unpredictable the weather could be. Clad in their thin blankets and worn-out clothing, the men experienced this lesson in the most unpleasant manner. Streaks of lightning flashed across the night sky, followed by the roaring thunder that kept everybody awake. This catastrophe continued until early morning on the next day. The ferocious storm finally died away, but the damage to the tribe morale has already been done.

James was the lucky one. The Team Rocket member had been so physically exhausted that he slept through most of the storm. According to his disgruntled tribe members, they didn't catch a single wink of sleep last night. When James woke up this morning, he was not surprised to see that the other three men were still fast asleep. With a crucial immunity challenge looming ahead, all of the players wanted to preserve as much energy as possible.

James was not pleased to see the status of his campsite. It was a complete wreck. Most of their camp supplies were drenched from the constant downpour and it would take hours before anything became dry again. In addition, their campfire was doused by the rain. James was disappointed to find out that his attempt of protecting the fire – by covering it with their large cooking pot – failed to help matters. Starting a fire was no easy task, but it became an even bigger nuisance since they only had wet leaves and soggy matches to work with.

"I'm not even going to touch the fire." James whispered to the cameras. He shook his head as he glanced at the pile of wet leaves and twigs that used to be their campfire. "That'd take too much energy. I'll let one of the other guys do it."

On the bright side, their food supplies remained relatively dry. It was Drew's idea to secure their containers so the water wouldn't seep into their food. This turned out to be an ingenious plan, since Clamperl could not afford losing the little amount of food left in their camp. With that tiny beam of hope in the midst of the gloomy situation, James managed to force a weak smile on his face. He could not do much of anything without a fire or the right supplies, but the least he can do for his tribe members was cook them a decent meal when they wake up. A plate of apples should be sufficient enough. _It's the effort that counts_, thought James. _When life gives you lemons, make lemonade._

It wasn't until a few hours later when the other three men woke up, just as noon was approaching. Takuya and TK went to collect treemail, whilst Drew joined James' company near their dining area. The Pokemon Coordinator sat next to James on the log.

"That was a rough night." Drew muttered wearily. He glance at a puddle on the ground and sighed. "The worst one since we've been out here."

"Hey, it's just three more days." James said, flashing a smile at the Pokemon Coordinator. "Three more days and we're out of here."

"That's comforting." Drew mumbled, returning the smile.

"And you know, I think...I think all of this will be worth it when we're sitting next to each other in the Final Two." James continued. He slowly nodded his head to himself. "One million dollars will be worth everything that we've been through..."

"Yeah." Drew's grin widened as soon as he heard those words from James. "So, it's you and me? Are you sure?"

"Final Two." James confirmed with a nod.

_**James: **Okay, I solidified my alliance with Drew this morning. I feel a little filthy now, but I had to do it. I can't afford to be...wishy-washy anymore. If I don't make up my mind, I'll just put myself in unnecessary danger. Besides, I want to take Drew to the Final Two because...because he's the only one I've a chance of beating. And even then, it's going to be close._

James looked serious as he spoke to the cameras. He pushed a strand of hair away from his emerald green eyes.

_**James: **Sometimes, I feel like I've made a deal with the devil. I know I can't trust Drew, but it's the best move for me to align with him. Yeah, I...I've a gut feeling that Drew is playing me like a fiddle. And he's probably laughing about it behind my back. I don't mind though. He can think that he's manipulating me all he wants, just as long as it's me who wins the million dollars in the end!_

"From now on, we can only depend on each other, James. We're on the same boat." Drew grunted. "I can't trust TK just like how you can't trust Drew."

"I know." James mumbled.

"It's only a matter of getting to the Final Two with each other." Drew explained. He picked up a stick nearby and began sketching a diagram on the sand. "It's the two of us against the two of them."

"If Takuya or TK finds out about us, they'll try their best to sabotage us," added James.

"We can't let that happen." Drew shook his head. "The one advantage we have over them is that they don't know about us yet. So, we'll have to let them believe there's no deal between us."

"But what if...what if Takuya and TK suspect something? I'm worried, Drew. What if they team up and make an alliance together?" James suggested. His voice trembled in uncertainty. "They can force a tie at tribal council. They have a lot of power..."

"I can't rule out that possibility." Drew said. The expression on his face looked jaded. He paused for a few seconds before he turned towards James. "What do you think we should do?"

"Me? I don't really know." James sighed.

"Do we vote Takuya out first? Or do we vote TK out first?" Drew asked, narrowing his eyes at the Team Rocket member. "They both have to go eventually, but it's important to determine the right order."

"Well...I think we should vote out TK first." James said as he scratched his head. "He's too friendly with everyone. None of us can win against him in the finals."

"I agree, but..." Drew nodded his head. A sly smirk spread across his face. "But that shouldn't matter if it's going to be you and me in the finals."

"Huh?" James responded, looking a little confused.

"TK can have seven friends on the jury and he still won't win _if _we don't let him get to the finals," explained Drew.

"Yeah, that's...that's right." James muttered.

"Here's _my _plan. I'll let TK keep believing that he has a Final Two pact with me." Drew flashed a concerned gaze at James as he quickly added, "But don't worry, hell will freeze over before I hand over my entire game to TK like that."

The Pokemon Coordinator drew four stick figures on the sand – three on the left and one on the right. This was the scenario that Drew pictured happening at their next tribal council.

"The three of us should team up and vote out Takuya at the Final Four." Drew said, "We can turn TK against Takuya if we want to. Those two guys never met eye to eye with each other."

James nodded his head slowly, although he looked somewhat dubious about Drew's idea.

"Then, one of us wins the immunity challenge and vote out TK." Drew said, "The final immunity involves some test of endurance, right? There's no way TK can win that. Not in his condition."

"TK might surprise us though. I know he looks weak, but he...he has an extensive athletic background. I heard he used to run in marathons and that requires a _lot _of endurance." James winced. "He can tough it out with the best of us."

"Let's just say we'll have an easier time beating TK than Takuya at _any _challenge." Drew frowned. He folded his arms across his chest in a defensive manner. "The sooner Takuya goes, the better."

_**Drew: **James only knows half the truth. It's important that Takuya goes first because he might still have some influence over James, and I can't take that risk. I hate giving Takuya credit, but he must be doing something right in this game. Every time I try to vote him out, he pulls a miracle out of his ass and it keeps him in the game. He convinced JP to switch his vote, he convinced May to switch her vote, and I know he's dying for the chance to make his salesman pitch to James._

Drew rubbed his chin thoughtfully. There was a pretentious smirk on his face.

_**Drew: **Takuya might be good at manipulating his friends to do his bidding, but he's about to meet his match. After all, James and I have a history together. I convinced James to betray the Breakfast Alliance way back in the first tribal council. And since then, I know James will listen to anything I say. I know he'll do anything I tell him to do..._

"Do you see my point, James?" Drew asked.

"You're right." James nodded his head. "We need to vote Takuya off."

"We'll string TK along to the Final Three and ditch him then. As long as they don't catch on to the two of us, we'll be fine," said Drew.

"I do hope nothing goes wrong with our plan." James muttered. "It seems so risky. One mistake and it could all fall apart..."

"Great, you jinxed it. Now it's _never _going to happen." Drew said jokingly.

"Hey, don't say that!" James chuckled. He tapped his fist on the log several times. "Knock on wood!"

- - -

After the scuffle with Takuya yesterday at the immunity challenge, the vicious rainstorm felt like a suitable conclusion to TK's miserable day. His tribe members were sympathetic and supportive to him, but they were not the ones with the bleeding foot. It was TK who had to lie on the treatment table for hours, his entire body throbbing with tremendous pain. During those times, the pain was so overwhelming that TK felt his brain completely shut down. He could not think. He could not feel. The only thing he could do was hope – hope for the best.

TK did recover, but at a heavy price. There had been a heated argument amongst the medical team, debating whether or not the blonde should continue playing the game under his conditions. As one doctor described the incident, "You lucked out two times, TK Takaishi. But we don't want to find out if the third time's the charm". But after spending so much time with the blonde, the doctors also knew how he thought. TK would not want to give up, especially after the traumatic journey he went through so far. So, the doctors reluctantly turned a blind eye as they allowed TK to continue the last three days of his game, knowing all responsibilities fall on them if TK got seriously injured another time.

_**TK: **I've a bit of a limb when I walk, but the good thing is that I can still walk. I'm getting used to numbing the pain in my leg, so it doesn't hurt that much anymore. Anyway, I know how to count my blessings. I'm extremely grateful that I can still play this time, no matter how many reckless situations I get myself into. I must be one of the luckiest men alive. Someone...someone must be watching out for me!_

He smiled cheerfully at the cameras – a type of smile uncommon on a person who could not walk just twelve hours ago.

_**TK: **I was so ambitious about winning that last challenge, I let common sense go over my head a little. I got careless, but I promise I'll stay cautious this time. Miracles don't happen three times in a row._

This morning was another day for TK Takaishi. But it didn't start out the way he had expected.

He was used to having different people accompany him while he was retrieving treemail. JP and Casey often did, but never could TK imagine that Takuya would volunteer to walk with the blonde today. At first, TK was puzzled at this characteristic gesture from Takuya, considering that the two of them weren't on the best of terms. Takuya was the last person TK thought he would be talking with, but stranger things had happened in the game of Survivor. And currently, TK found himself stuck in the middle of an awkward conversation with the athletic goggle-head.

"That was quite a storm last night, wasn't it?" Takuya asked.

"Yeah. What a horrible way to end the night." TK nodded politely. He was hoping that Takuya would bring up how this was the first one-on-one conversation they had since the two tribes merged together. But talking about the weather seemed like a safe topic for now.

"May hates this type of weather." Takuya laughed. "I bet she's glad that she's in a warm cozy bed instead of being out here like us."

"She's a trooper. She would have fought through this storm like the rest of us," said TK.

"Of course." Takuya said, nodding his head somewhat too eagerly. "I never doubted her for a second."

The conversation came to an abrupt stop, almost as if the two men had ran out of things to say to each other. They continued walking towards the mailbox in silence. TK took this time to admire the beautiful island scenery, whereas Takuya was more occupied with staring at the ground and mumbling unintelligible words under his breath. Occasionally, he would glance at TK with his mouth opened but no words came out. This silent charade continued for several minutes until Takuya finally gathered the courage to speak. He cleared his throat in an intentionally loud manner, hoping that it would grab TK's attention.

"I'm sorry, TK!" Takuya exclaimed.

TK stopped walking. The blonde blinked unresponsively at the Frontier, whose head was pointed to the ground. Takuya's eyes did not meet TK's gaze as he spoke.

"Nothing I say can make up for what I did, but...but I'm really sorry for acting like a major jackass." Takuya muttered apologetically. "I wasn't thinking...when I punched you. I never meant to hurt you...I just...got into the moment..."

"Yeah, it's okay." TK said, smiling faintly at the flustered Frontier. "I accept your apology."

Takuya sighed in relief.

"Thanks. You're obvious a bigger person than me." Takuya muttered. He shook his head in dissatisfaction. "I don't think I can turn the other cheek if I was in your shoes."

"Well, I think it takes a lot of...strength to swallow your pride and actually apologize to someone." TK smiled gently at the Frontier, but Takuya did not return the smile.

"No, I'm an idiot for attacking you like that. I accept all the responsibility and blame over my actions," said Takuya.

"Don't put yourself down." TK frowned.

"I think I'd feel a little better if you didn't forgive me." Takuya laughed nervously. "It's easier to feel remorse for what I did if you actually hate me."

"But I don't like holding grudges. Forgive and forget, right?" TK chuckled.

"Stop it. Stop it. Stop comforting me, damn it..." Takuya groaned. "You're the one who's injured! I should be comforting _you _and asking how you feel and stuff, not the other way around!"

"Whatever makes you feel better, I guess." TK shrugged his shoulders. "I've already forgiven you, so all that's left is for you to forgive yourself."

"I can't compete. You're just too damn nice, dude." Takuya grinned. "I...I just wish there was a way to repay you. Like, some way to cleanse my conscience."

"There is one thing. I'd like you to accept _my _apology." TK smiled at the Frontier.

"Huh?" Takuya asked.

"I'm sorry that I misjudged you in the past." TK explained as the smile on his face disappeared. "Don't take this the wrong way, but you always bothered me because you're so...so different."

"Well, I can be very raw sometimes. I get it. People don't like me." Takuya shrugged his shoulders. He coughed a few times to cover up his embarrassment. "I'm used to it."

"That's not what I mean, Takuya. Yes, you might have some outstanding flaws. But so what? We all do." TK said, biting his lips. "Once I look past your flaws, I...I don't think you're that bad of a guy at all."

"Thanks, I guess." Takuya laughed. He waved his hand in dismissal. "Look, it's all in the past. You said it yourself...forgive and forget about it!"

"Right. I'm just glad we cleared out any misunderstanding between the two of us." TK flashed a thumbs-up gesture.

"Hey, it's never too late to reconcile." Takuya grinned.

"Takuya, I think if the circumstances are different, we could have made quite a team." TK grinned cheekily at the Frontier. "You and me."

"Oh yeah, we would have done some colossal damage!" Takuya laughed, pumping his fist in the air.

"Like you said, I don't think it's too late for us to reconcile..." TK paused as he searched for the proper term. "And consider our options in this game."

Before Takuya could respond, a sudden noise behind them startled both men. They turned around and discovered Drew emerging from behind a large bush, leaves ruffling as the Coordinator stepped out of the plant. He waved at Takuya and TK as if there was nothing wrong with his bizarre entrance.

"Hello." Drew said. He carried an enigmatic smile on his boyish face. "Did you get treemail yet?"

"Not yet." TK replied, but immediately stopped himself after he heard his voice crack a little. He sounded too guilty, even though he felt he had nothing to hide.

"You two better hurry up." Drew muttered, eyeing both TK and Takuya with evident suspicion. "James made lunch already. We're waiting for you."

"Alright..." TK muttered.

Feeling uncomfortable under Drew's gaze, TK turned away. He caught Takuya's glance and the two of them exchanged dubious looks with ach other. The blonde can tell that Takuya was just as surprised about Drew's presence as he was. It seemed too convenient for Drew to show up just as TK was about to propose an alliance. It was obvious that Drew had been following the two of them _and _nosily eavesdropping on their private conversation. It was just a question of how much he heard and what conclusions he thought of afterwards.

_**TK: **Drew was spying on me. It's really suspicious to me. I mean, if he's doing that, his trust in me is probably limited. He must think I'm trying to start an alliance with Takuya. And I'm not denying it, but I can tell I've lost some ground with Drew. He doesn't trust me as much as he used to. I think...I need a back-up plan. Just in case._

He nervously bit his lips.

_**TK: **I think I see the problem. Drew is afraid that I won't stay loyal to him because...because he knows he'll lose in a tiebreaker against Takuya or me. He has five votes cast against him in the past – and that's more than what either of us has. I think of it as the kryptonite to his strategy. If Takuya and I force a tie at tribal council, then it's ka-boom! And goodbye, Drew!_

- - -

Twelve immunity challenges later, Takuya knew the drill. He had to win this one. Victory was mandatory.

"Welcome to your second-to-last immunity challenge," said Professor Birch as he turned to face the athletic Frontier. "First things first...I need the immunity necklace back."

Takuya unconsciously wrapped his burly hands around his immunity necklace. He felt reluctant to remove this item from his possession. The necklace was a symbol for all the sweat he poured, all the tears he shred, all the energy he invested in winning these challenges. He worked hard to earn this immunity and he did not want to give it up. Deep down, he thought it was silly to grow emotionally attached to a dead object. But Takuya was a desperate man. He walked into every immunity challenge, imagining that it would be his last. Today was no exception. If Takuya doesn't win, he was gone.

"Takuya?" Professor Birch asked. A small frown was curling at the corners of his lips. "I need the necklace."

"Oh...oh right." Takuya smiled in embarrassment. He took off the necklace and handed it back to the professor.

"Immunity is back up for grabs." Professor Birch nodded his head, raising the necklace high in the air. "The stakes are high. Whoever wins this immunity challenge will be guaranteed a place in the Final Three, and one step closer to a million dollars."

"No pressure!" James giggled nervously.

"Now, for today's challenge...it's going to be a big one." Professor Birch grinned. "Fire, earth, air and water are the four classical elements in Greek culture. We incorporated these four elements in our immunity challenge today."

Professor Birch grinned as he gestured towards the four work stations that they had prepared on the beach. There weren't a lot of equipment set up, save a loosely built fence post that was tied together by four pieces of rope. Attached to the end of each rope was a purple balloon.

"There are multiple parts to this immunity challenge. First, you must build a _fire_. In order to do that, you must race to the forest and gather twigs, leaves, branches, or anything that can assist you in building that fire." Professor Birch explained. "Remember, it is the _earth _that's providing you with these materials."

Professor Birch gestured his hand at a particular point in the ocean. There was a small floating platform some distance away.

"Also to help you build the fire, you're given a box of matches. However, you must retrieve them by _water_." Professor Birch continued, "You must swim out to the ocean and reach the floating platform. Once there, you'll find these items on the surface. Grab one box and _only _one. Afterwards, head back to finish the last stage of your challenge."

The professor walked over to one of the stations set up for this challenge. He pointed to a thin piece of rope that was attached to a gigantic purple balloon.

"When you have all the materials you need, you must build a fire. Once it's started, you must keep the flames strong enough so that it'll burn _this _piece of rope." Professor Birch said, "As a result, the rope will release a balloon into the _air_, which is the signal for victory. The first person to release the balloon wins immunity, guaranteed safety at the next tribal council."

The four players mumbled in excitement, but the professor quickly shushed them.

"If there are no more questions, we'll start the challenge." Professor Birch instructed. The players obeyed his orders and walked over to their individual stations. "On my go, you'll run to the forest to gather materials that'll help start your fire. You must also retrieve a box of matches from the ocean." Professor Birch paused as the players acknowledged his procedures. "Survivors ready? Go!"

Takuya, TK and Jamees immediately dashed into the forest to collect the materials to start their fire. Only Drew opted to swim out to the floating platform, choosing to retrieve his matches first. He figured that this was the more convenient method, since his body will need time to dry before he began making fire with them.

"James is already heading back with a _bundle _of stuff. Now, he's heading out to grab his matches." Professor Birch announced. He was giving a running commentary as the challenge progressed. "Takuya is right behind. He got a lot of stuff to help him with the fire! But he thinks he needs more, so he's going back to the forest. That's going to cost _a lot _of time."

TK arrived later, dropping his pile of tinder in his designated work station. He took a glimpse at the materials that James gathered and frowned. Comparing the sizes of their supplies, the Team Rocket member collected way more than the blonde. Feeling unsatisfied with what he got, TK ran back into the forest for a second try.

"Drew got his box of matches! He's making his way back to shore." Professor Birch declared, "The matches are getting wet in the water – that's _not _good! Oh, here comes Takuya..." The professor paused briefly as the Frontier ran past him to reach his work station. "He's now making his way to the ocean!"

Only TK remained on land, still lagging behind from the rest of his competition. The perfectionist blonde struggled the most since he was being picky with his choices, whereas James and Takuya grabbed anything they could find in the forest – chips of old bark from trees, dried-up leaves, and broken twigs found on the ground.

After a quick swim, Drew returned from the sea. Just as he made his way to the forest, TK headed back, carrying an armful of materials.

"TK is back from the forest. He's finally heading out to the ocean!" Professor Birch shouted. James and Takuya are making their way back. They have their matches _and _they found a way of keeping them dry!"

Takuya and James adopted the same strategy. Taking the shirts off their backs, they wrapped the cloth around the box of matches. It did not ensure that the matches will stay absolutely dry, but it was at least an effort in their parts. The two men came back to shore at the same time. Although James had a head start with the swimming, Takuya and his athletic prowess caught up to the physically exhausted Huntail member.

The two men ran towards their work station with their box of matches in hand, eager to get the fire started. Unfortunately for James, he encountered an enormous problem.

"James tries to start a fire, but he has a problem!" Professor Birch said, "It's a windy day today, and some of the tinder that he gathered has been blown away!"

The Team Rocket member cursed his bad luck as he picked up his items, scattered all across the beach. Meanwhile, Takuya was in the process of arranging his driftwood in a concise pile, shaping it into a tiny teepee.

"Drew has his supplies! He's now working on his fire as well!" Professor Birch declared.

While Takuya fumbled around with his tinder, Drew managed to catch up by messily putting several twigs and branches on each other. Then, the Pokemon Coordinator grabbed his box of matches and struck one. No success. Feeling frustrated, Drew gave several more tries and got the same result each time.

"My matches are wet..." Drew muttered under his breath, finally realizing where his problem originated. With a box of wet soggy matches, there was nothing much he could do but to curse himself at his carelessness.

Meanwhile, James finally gathered his materials that was scattered across the beach. Like Takuya, he built a small teepee out of his tinder. He pulled out a match – thankfully, a dry one – and struck it. The match lit, but the wind blew it out a second later. James tried again. This time, the match stayed lit.

Takuya glanced anxiously at the Team Rocket member. James had a fire started, albeit it was a weak one. For some reason, Takuya's matches kept blowing out whenever he tried lighting them. _It must be the wind. _Takuya thought to himself. He guessed the direction that the wind was blowing from and positioned his body so that he was facing his back towards it. In his new spot, he tried igniting his match. Still nothing.

"TK is back with his matches! All four men are working on their fires, but only James has something going!" Professor Birch announced. "Drew is trying really hard and...and he has one! He has a fire!"

To Drew's amazement, he managed to produce a fire despite his ineffective matches. He flashed a quick boastful smile at the other players before he leaned towards it and carefully blew on the fire. He placed a few branches on top of the fire, hoping for it to grow large enough to reach the string.

At roughly the same time, Takuya also got his fire started. He took a second to cheer silently to himself. Since his pile of timber was arranged in such a careful and deliberate manner, Takuya didn't have to do much to keep the fire going. In fact, his flame was growing larger and larger all by itself. Takuya grinned. Mother Nature was on his side today.

James, who had been in the lead several minutes ago, was losing ground to his competitors. His weakly lit flame was dying and all it took was one strong gust of wind to blow, extinguishing James' fire completely. The Team Rocket member sighed. He had to start over again.

"It seems like a close race between Drew and Takuya!" Professor Birch said, "They're the only ones with a fire! Takuya _looks _like he has an edge over Drew. His fire is a little bigger...a little closer to burning that rope."

Unfortunately, TK did not share the same luck as the rest of the men. No fire yet.

Takuya and Drew both worked frantically to add small bits of wood to their fire, but things didn't look good for Drew, since he had ran out of supplies. Takuya still had a fair amount of leaves and twigs, which he continuously add to his fire to keep it growing.

And a few seconds later, he did it. His strongly lit flame burned the rope, which released a gigantic purple balloon in the air.

"Takuya wins immunity!" Professor Birch announced.

"Yeah! Hell yeah!" Takuya hollered. He pumped his fist energetically in the air. "Final Three, baby!"

"Here you go, Takuya. I believe this is yours," said Professor Birch as he offered the immunity necklace to the Frontier. Takuya accepted it with a gracious and triumphant smile on his face.

"Thanks, professor." Takuya grinned. "This is so awesome."

He wrapped his hands around the immunity necklace and kissed it. It was taken away from him minutes ago, but now it was back in his hands. Just the touch of the necklace gave Takuya the sensation of immense comfort. He could almost feel joyous tears swelling in his eyes. At that moment, Takuya promised himself that he would never give this necklace up. He never wanted to part with immunity ever again.

Thirteen immunity challenges later, Takuya knew the drill. Just one more challenge to go. He had to win the next one. Victory was mandatory.

- - -

Several thoughts crossed Drew's mind the moment Takuya won immunity today.

One, he was furious at himself for losing such a crucial immunity challenge, especially since he came so close to winning. Drew was actually in the lead for a while, but leave it up to Takuya to pull through and steal a victory right under the Coordinator's nose. Now, Drew had a one in three chance of getting voted off, while Takuya can relax for the entire without needing to worry about the upcoming vote.

Two, Drew made sure he stuck to Takuya like glue. Wherever Takuya went, Drew followed. If it meant invading Takuya's personal space right up to the point where he can't go to the washroom alone, then so be it. Drew must not create any opportunity for TK to collude with Takuya. Just one minute of them talking can make all the difference in the game. They can share notes, conspire together, or worse – form a temporary alliance and force a tie at the next tribal council.

And three, Takuya winning immunity meant only one outcome can happen at tribal council. TK Takaishi was in danger of being voted out tonight, more so than he had imagined.

Despite the numerous variables that can affect the outcome tonight, Drew still felt confident his solid plan will remain strong, and he will remain in the game after tribal council. As long as TK and Takuya don't vote together, Drew thought he was safe. Unfortunately, there were some evident flaws in his logic. Most noticeably, Drew lost immunity to Takuya, the _last _person he'd want to win immunity today. It meant that Drew lost the one leverage he had to bargain with TK for his vote. It also meant Drew had to cut TK loose one tribal council too soon. But to protect his ideal Final Two plan with James, sacrifices had to be made. Drew believed he made a great recovery considering the limited resources and dire circumstances.

However, that led to the second flaw in Drew's plan. Due to the unexpected changes, Drew now had to inform James about their new strategy for tribal council. Although it seemed more than obvious what the two allies should do, Drew felt a little safer if he confirmed his alliance with James right before the vote. But in order to have a one-on-one conversation with James, it meant Drew had to leave Takuya alone for a couple of minutes.

And that was more than enough time for TK to make his move.

_**TK: **It's the Final Four and old alliances are thrown out of the window. I don't think I'm safe at all. Uh, I'm positive that Drew doesn't have my back anymore. Looking at the game from his perspective, I know he'd rather face James in the Final Two than me. That's pretty obvious._

TK rubbed his chin. He smiled faintly at the cameras.

_**TK: **So, I'm going to make a final pitch to Takuya. If we vote together tonight, we can really shake the game up. It's our last opportunity to outsmart the puppetmaster at his game._

"Hey, Takuya. Do you have a minute?" TK asked.

Takuya looked up from his seat to see the gentle face of TK Takaishi. The athletic Frontier grinned as he motioned a friendly gesture to TK, inviting the blonde to sit next to him by the shelter.

"Yeah, yeah...I sure do. I actually need your help in something." Takuya grinned. He raised his arm, showing TK a box of matches in his hand. "I'm wondering if I should start the fire now. Logically, I'd say now since it'll be too dark when we get back from tribal council, but..." He paused as he glanced up at the sky. "But we only have enough matches to start two more fires. And it looks like it's going to rain again tonight."

"I think we should start the fire anyway." TK replied after pondering over the matter for a couple of seconds. "We need the fire to cook dinner and stay warm. And like you said, it'll be too dark when we come back from tribal council."

"Yeah, that's what I thought." Takuya nodded. He slowly got up his seat and crawled outside of the shelter. "Okay, I'll go start the fire now."

"Wait, Takuya. Wait." TK said, tugging on the Frontier's shirt sleeve. "I need to talk to you. Really quick."

"Alright..." Takuya shot an impatient gaze at the blonde, but smiled nonetheless.

"I'm going to ask you a favour." TK said, phrasing his words in a cautious and timely manner. "I want the two of us to vote out Drew tonight."

"Ah, that sounds kind of interesting!" Takuya grinned. He walked back to the shelter and sat down. "So, you want me to force a tie against Drew?"

"Exactly." TK nodded his head. "He has five votes cast against him. I only have three. Drew will lose the tiebreaker and go home for sure."

"I feel damn good knowing that I cast two of those five votes against him!" Takuya laughed.

"All we need to do is cast two votes against him tonight, and he's gone. Are you in?" TK asked.

"I'm leaning towards yes, but...I don't want to promise you anything yet." Takuya said. His grin slowly faded away as he put on a more serious expression. "I need more time to think about it. It's...it's a huge decision, you know."

"I understand." TK said, biting his lips. He paused for a couple of seconds before he added, "I don't want to look like I'm _bribing _you or anything, but...here's an extra incentive. I promise I'll bring you to the Final Two if I win the last immunity challenge."

"Seriously?" Takuya raised his eyebrows in surprise.

"I don't break promises, Takuya. If you keep me to the Final Three, I'll bring you to the Final Two." TK said, smiling widely at the athletic Frontier. "Help me to help you."

"That does sweeten the plot a little." Takuya chuckled a little. He drew a heavy sigh and shook his head. "But...but I still can't promise you anything. There are other...other factors as well. It's not just the Final Two."

"Whatever you do, I'll understand." TK said in a conclusive manner.

"Yeah, that means a lot to me," said Takuya.

_**TK: **I did my part. I don't think there's anything more I can do. Now, it's up to Takuya to decide if he wants to shake the game or not. Is he playing to let Drew win in the end? Or is he playing for himself?_

Drew emerged from the forest a few minutes later. He just finished his conversation with James and they confirmed about their plans of voting out TK tonight. By the time he came back to spy on Takuya, the blonde was already out of sight. Takuya was left alone in the dining area, attempting to ignite the campfire with a soggy match. Drew approached him with caution.

"Takuya..." Drew began, "How are you?"

"I'm okay." Takuya responded in a dispassionate manner.

"Have you thought about the vote tonight?" Drew asked. He squatted next to Takuya, bringing himself closer to the athletic Frontier. "Who are you going to vote for?"

"I haven't decided yet." Takuya replied enigmatically.

"I don't know if TK talked with you or not, but I want to pitch in my two cents." Drew said. He turned away to hide his smug smirk from Takuya. "It might put everything into perspective for you."

"Oh yeah?" Takuya said, shooting a dirty glare at Drew.

"A useless Final Two pact is the most TK can offer you." Drew explained, "It's not going to do you any good when you lose to him in a 7-0 vote at the end. Everybody in the jury loves TK. It'd be a clean sweep."

Takuya didn't say anything in response, so Drew continued.

"I know you're a competitive player, Takuya. You play to win first place, not for runner-up. But I can guarantee you that's what you'll get if you go to the finals with TK." Drew said in a matter-of-fact voice. He slowly shook his head to accompany his speech. "On the other hand, you're on an even playing field if you face against James or me."

"Neither of you will take me to the end." Takuya said spitefully. "TK will."

"So what? You might have a two-in-three chance of making it to the Final Two, but your chances of winning the game also drops to zero." Drew shrugged his shoulders. "People might lie, but the numbers don't. And they don't look good for you, Takuya."

"I suppose." Takuya admitted, albeit he sounded a little bitter.

"I can't make the picture any less black and white for you, Takuya. You keep TK around, you're going to lose." Drew said with an arrogant smirk on his face. "It's up to you. Think about it. Are you playing for second place, Takuya?" He paused. "Or are you playing to win?"

"Give me time to think about it." Takuya muttered. It was unintentionally turning into his most overused line of the day.

_**Takuya: **I'm not sure what I should do tonight. On the short term, it looks like I'm better off keeping TK around. He won't pose much of a threat in the next challenge, and even if he did win, he promised he'll take me to the Final Two. But then, I look at the game from a long term perspective and I...I realize that I can't win against TK in the end. I'll make it far, but I won't win._

There was a lopsided smile on Takuya's boyish face. He paused his confessional to scratch his head.

_**Takuya: **Anyway, it kind of sucks that I'm put in this position. Someone is not going to like me after tonight. Oh well, I'm used to it. Welcome to my crappy life._

- - -

Professor Birch felt like tribal council arrived too soon. Normally, the players had three days to reach a decision for the vote. But once the game hit Final Four, the dramatic tribal council process sped up so that one person was voted off each night. During the last three days, the game would get extremely hectic. Some temporary alliances would form as quickly as they disbanded. The professor was actually glad that he sat on the other side of tribal council, as opposed to competing in the cutthroat atmosphere of the Clamperl. He watched the worried expressions on Drew and TK's faces and smirked. Professor Birch cannot imagine the flood of emotions that flowed through these two men felt tonight.

"Welcome to your thirteenth tribal council, players." Professor Birch said, greeting the tribe with his usual enthusiastic smile. "We'll now bring in the members of the jury."

Cassidy led the small group of five. She was followed closely by JP, Casey, Rika and the most recent member of the jury – May.

"JP looks out of place as the only guy on the jury." Professor Birch said with a teasing smile. JP grinned and raised his hand triumphantly in the air. "Takuya, you started the game on Gorebyss, which was supposed to be a woman's tribe. So, what do you think about the Final Four right here, consisting of just four guys?"

"Dude, I think it's a little screwed up." Takuya laughed. "But no, seriously...this hasn't been an issue for me. I never thought of the game as a...you know, a boy-versus-girl thing. I know we started the game this way, but the gender wars kind of dissolved along the way."

"We had _other _things to worry about," James added with a cheeky smile.

"How about tribal lines? Did they dissolve as well?" Professor Birch asked. "TK, at this point of the game, how loyal are you to your original tribe?"

"I don't think it matters at this point, professor." TK replied, "There are three of us from the original Huntail tribe, but we won't be voting for the same person tonight."

"That's partly because the _lone _member from the original Gorebyss tribe won the immunity necklace." Professor Birch said, gesturing towards a grinning Takuya. "So, how vulnerable would you be if you aren't wearing that necklace, Takuya?"

"Hey, I tell you what. My ass was on the line, so I'd be a goner if I didn't win immunity." Takuya shrugged his shoulders.

"Drew, what about you? You came so close at the last challenge, but Takuya barely beat you for the win." Professor Birch said, turning to face the Pokemon Coordinator. "As a result, you're not wearing the necklace tonight. How vulnerable do _you _feel?"

"I don't think I'm safe." Drew said, looking somewhat miffed that the professor reopened his wounds about his loss. "It could be me going home tonight."

"Why should your tribe members keep you around?" Professor Birch asked.

"I've made a few enemies in the jury." Drew said as his eyes met with May, who was sitting across from him. Her emotionless face did not react at his response. Feeling uncomfortable, Drew quickly averted his gaze elsewhere. "They might have a good chance of winning if they go up against me in the finals."

"TK, same question." Professor Birch said. "Give me a reason why your tribe members shouldn't vote you out tonight."

"I...suck at challenges." TK laughed nervously. "I probably won't win the endurance challenge if I'm still here tomorrow. If...uh, if they keep me in the Final Three, they've one less competitor to worry about. So, they'll have a better chance of winning that final immunity."

"James?" Professor Birch asked.

"I don't really know." James said, shrugging his shoulders. "May be it's not in their best interests to vote me out now." He paused, not looking satisfied with his answer so far. "I mean, I _think _I work hard and I contribute to the tribe. That's why they should keep me around."

"Fair enough." Professor Birch nodded his head. "Okay, it's time to vote. Takuya has the immunity necklace, so you cannot cast a vote against him tonight. TK, you can go first."

TK walked up to the voting shrine with a shaky demeanour. Once he arrived, he picked up the marker to write Drew's name neatly on the parchment.

"I'm sorry, but you're the only person who I can beat in a tiebreaker. It's nothing personal. I hope we can stay friends outside of the game."

The next person to vote was Drew. Unsurprisingly, he cast a vote against his former ally, TK.

"Nice guys don't finish last, they finish in fourth place. You're too much of a threat to face in the jury, and that's why I'm voting you out. I would've kept you around for another day, but Takuya's win sealed your fate. You've been a worthy competitor and a good friend. Hope everything is alright with your leg."

James voted and returned to his seat with little ado.

Finally, it was Takuya's turn. The athletic Frontier took a deep breath before he stood up from his seat. He avoided making eye contact with any of the players, hoping that it would lessen the pressure of the vote tonight. When he arrived at the shrine, he felt a moment of hesitation as he picked up the marker. Even now, he doubted if he was making the right decision tonight. Both men had made their pitches to Takuya, but he could only grant one of their wishes. Somebody would leave this game feeling some bitter resentment towards him, but that can't be prevented. Voting people off was part of the game, whether he liked it or not.

At last, Takuya wrote down a name.

- - -

"Once the votes have been read, the person voted off will be asked to leave tribal council area immediately." Professor Birch declared. "I'll now read the votes."

Professor Birch put his hand in the voting urn and pulled out the first vote. He unfolded the parchment and turned it over.

"Drew."

The usual arrogant expression on Drew's face was replaced by an uncharacteristic tenseness. The muscles in his body strained when the Pokemon Coordinator read his name on the parchment. He knew if he saw his name at this tribal council one more time, his game was over. As much as Drew prided himself in his crafty manipulation, Takuya had always been an unpredictable wildcard. It would not surprise Drew if Takuya voted him out to get the last laugh.

Professor Birch drew out the second vote.

"TK." Professor Birch said, "That's one vote Drew and one vote TK."

TK pressed his lips together at the sight of his name. He anxiously turned his head towards Takuya, hoping to catch some sort of signal from the Frontier's expression. But Takuya's gaze was fixed sternly on the professor. TK cannot tell from the Frontier's enigmatic face whether or not he voted for Drew tonight.

Professor Birch pulled out the next vote.

"The third vote," Professor Birch said dramatically before he turned the parchment over. "TK."

James recognized his writing on the parchment. He turned around to flash a faint smile at Drew, but it faded away when he noticed the tense expression on Drew's face. Watching Drew, who was normally so calm and compose, act so antsy made James feel grateful for his position in the game. He was relieved that his name didn't appear at this tribal council, even though he had been just as vulnerable as Drew or TK tonight. If James had been in Drew or TK's shoes tonight, he might have fainted from the suspense!

"I'll now read the last vote," said the professor.

Professor Birch pulled out the final vote from the urn. He unfolded the parchment, glanced at it, and took a deep breath.

"The thirteenth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands," Professor Birch declared as he turned over the vote. "TK."

A guilt-ridden Takuya immediately leaned over and whispered a muffled apology to TK. The gracious blonde smiled politely at the Frontier, nodding his head as if to accept his fate. It was a forgiving smile, one that bore no grudges or bad feelings towards his tribe members for their decision. TK understood why he was voted off tonight.

"TK, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch said as the blonde walked over with his torch. The professor quickly snuffed the weakly lit flame. "It's time for you to go."

TK raised his arm to wave a final farewell to Clamperl. His former tribe members watched the blonde march into the forest until his body vanished amongst the darkness.

"We have our Final Three. You've made it to a part of the game where thirteen others failed to do." Professor Birch announced. "Good job for making it this far, but you still have two more days to go. You'll need plenty of rest for your final immunity challenge tomorrow. Good night, Clamperl."

As James rose from his seat, he caught a brief glimpse of the expressions amongst the five jury members. None of them looked pleased with the results tonight. In particular, JP was absolutely devastated that the blonde was now out of the game. Judging by their disgruntled reactions, it seemed more than obvious that TK Takaishi had been the jury's favourite all along. They were rooting for the friendly and persistent player to do the impossible and take home the win. Now, they were left with the three jerks who voted him out. Worst of all, they had to choose a winner amongst these three!

James did genuinely admire TK as a person and a player. He had tremendous respect for the blonde who prevailed longer than anybody's expectations. Still, James couldn't help but rejoice silently over TK's departure. He was feeling _ecstatic_. This wasn't a malicious reaction as much as it was an enlightening realization, because TK's demise meant only one thing to James.

His chances of winning just got a little higher.

- - -

_**TK's Final Words**_

Fourth place is nothing to be ashamed of. For a guy with an injured leg, I think fourth place is not bad at all! I mean, I made it farther in the game than I ever imagined. The journey hasn't always been easy, but I learned a lot of things about myself. I really got out of my comfort zone. I pushed my limits and I challenged myself to do things that I would never experience in my ordinary life.

Overall, Dewford Islands is an amazing place. I'm really going to miss waking up to the beautiful scenery every morning. But I'll also tell you what I won'tmiss about this island. It's those stupid bears. If I ever see another bear in my life, it would be way too soon!

- - -

**DAY 38**

Drew thought he was hallucinating when he smelled food this morning. Not just _any _food, but it was the unfamiliar scent of scrambled eggs and bacon that awakened him from his slumber. The confused Pokemon Coordinator looked around the camp, trying to locate the origin of the smell. Naturally, he turned his head towards the dining area. It was there he saw a young bearded man sitting by himself. Still feeling weary, it took Drew a couple of seconds before he identified that person as Professor Birch.

"Professor?" Drew muttered. "What the..."

The professor caught Drew's gaze and grinned toothily. He waved one arm in the air as a greeting. Drew waved back, although he looked even more confused than ever.

"Wake everyone up! I have a surprise for all of you!" Professor Birch shouted.

Drew nodded his head as he turned around. Takuya was lying nearby, snoring loudly. However, James was nowhere to be found in the shelter. Drew tapped Takuya's shoulder lightly, but the athletic Frontier remained motionless.

"Come on. Wake up." Drew grunted impatiently. He pushed Takuya's shoulder with a little more force. "We have a guest."

Takuya mumbled something unintelligible and went back to sleep.

"I brought you guys food!" Professor Birch shouted.

"Hmm? Wha...what food?" Takuya groaned, slowly pulling his body up from the floor. "Did you say something about food?"

"Yeah, the professor is right there with our breakfast." Drew smirked.

"I can smell...sausages." Takuya muttered groggily. He pinched himself in the cheeks. "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

"Come over here before the food gets cold!" Professor Birch shouted.

The professor picked up a piece of toast from a plate. He waved it in the air for Takuya and Drew to see.

"Eggs, bacon, sausages, potatoes _and _toast!" Professor Birch exclaimed, "Guys, it's all yours!"

"Oh god, I must be dreaming." Takuya shrieked in giddiness. He lied back down on the floor, burying his hands over his face. "No way this can be real! No freakin' way!"

_**Takuya: **Fooooood! That's what I was screaming in my head when I first saw Professor Birch in our camp. He shows up out of nowhere to give us a tiny piece of heaven. And when I say heaven, I mean breakfast deluxe!_

Takuya grinned. He patted his hand over his stomach in satisfaction.

_**Takuya: **Everything tasted...so...damn...good! Man, if only every morning started like this one!_

Takuya and Drew quickly made their way to the dining area, where they sat next to Professor Birch on the log. When they arrived, they could see there were three large plates neatly laid out on the ground. Each of them contained a lavish and luxurious breakfast, accompanied by a glass of orange juice on the side. Professor Birch looked up at the two men with an impish smile. He could almost see the drool leaking out of the two men's mouths.

"Is...is the food for us?" Takuya asked.

"They certainly are. Dig in!" Professor Birch grinned.

Takuya instantly dug into his food like a mad and starving savage, grabbing various items from the plate with his hands and shoving them into his mouth. Drew remained more civilized, choosing to use the provided utensils to eat his breakfast.

"Mmmmm..." Takuya mumbled in a garbled voice. A small piece of bacon dropped out of his full mouth as he spoke, but he caught it with his hand. Seconds later, he put the bacon back into his mouth. "_So _good!"

"Take your time, Takuya. We have all day." Professor Birch said.

"It tastes even better if you take your time to enjoy it," added Drew.

"Tell that to my stomach!" Takuya laughed. He took a huge sip of his orange juice and sighed. "This feels right. This feels so right."

Professor Birch smiled, looking slightly embarrassed. He shifted his gaze to the empty shelter straight ahead. It was messy and disorganized with clothes and belongings scattered everywhere on the floor, just as he had expected.

"So, where did James go?" Professor Birch asked.

"He's not..." Drew paused. He turned his head to examine the shelter one more time before continuing his reply. "He's not in the shelter."

"The boat isn't here either," said Takuya. "Do you think he took it and went off somewhere? Fishing, may be?"

"That's probably it." Drew nodded his head.

"I see. Well, that can't be helped." Professor Birch shrugged his shoulders. "James can eat his breakfast when he gets back."

Takuya glanced at the third plate on the ground with a hint of contemplation in his eyes. He slowly nodded his head to the professor's words, but his gaze was still fixated on James' meal.

"What's the occasion, professor? Why are you here?" Drew asked.

"I want to inform you about your immunity challenge this afternoon." Professor Birch replied with a gentle smile. "And I'm here to bring you a little nutrition before that happens. You've a long day ahead of you."

"Much appreciated," said Drew.

"Are you guys feeling confident about today?" Professor Birch asked.

"Oh yeah!" Takuya laughed. He and Drew glanced at each other, nodding their heads. "We have to feel confident...or we're screwed."

"If I make it this far in the game and lose here, it'd be a huge blow to my ego." Drew added.

"Mine too." Takuya said.

"Well, I wish you guys the best of luck." Professor Birch said. He extended his hand to Takuya for a handshake, but the professor wisely retracted it a few seconds later when he realized Takuya had been eating with his hands. "I'll see you later today."

"Bye, professor!" Takuya shouted. "Thanks for the grub!"

_**Drew: **I'm glad that Professor Birch paid us a visit this morning. He reminded me that I've a crucial challenge ahead of me. The breakfast is only secondary to the immunity challenge. If the wrong person wins immunity today, it could break my entire game. Everything that I've worked up until now would be futile._

Despite the distressful situation, there was still an air of calmness in Drew's nonchalant expression. He looked serious and relaxed at the same time.

_**Drew: **Ideally, I want James to win the final challenge and vote out Takuya. That'll make James look even more of a backstabber in Takuya's eyes. Bad for James, but good for me._

Drew flashed a conceited smirk to the cameras.

_**Drew: **But I know better than to rely on luck, just like how I can't rely on James to win that final immunity. I need to think fast and act fast in case my plans go haywire. In that case, the seeds I plant in Takuya's head will come in handy..._

"James doesn't know what he's missing out. This stuff is delicious!" Takuya said as he chewed on his toast. He swallowed a mouthful of food before he continued speaking again. "Where is that guy anyway?"

"He's your friend. You should know," said Drew. He watched Takuya's reaction very carefully.

"James is _not _my friend. Not anymore." Takuya was quick to correct the Coordinator's words. "I don't have any friends in this tribe. _You _voted them all out."

_Thank you. _Drew thought, smirking smugly.

"It's not easy for me either. My friends are gone too." Drew grumbled.

"You had friends!?" Takuya exclaimed in dramatized shock. Drew shot Takuya a spiteful glare, but the cheeky Frontier dismissed it with a playful grin. "I'm kidding! I'm kidding!"

"You can be so blunt sometimes." Drew said, sounding a little annoyed.

"But I speak the truth!" Takuya laughed.

"You're right though. I don't have a lot of friends in real life either." Drew admitted, wearing a sad smile on his face. "And the few friends that I made in the last few weeks...they'll probably never want to speak to me again after the game."

"Yeah, I think so too! I mean...you did screw them over pretty badly! Is there someone in your alliance that you didn't backstab?" Takuya chuckled.

"TK and JP probably hate my guts right now. May too, I bet." Drew sighed. "That's three members of the jury right there."

"I don't recall Rika being a huge fan of you either." Takuya said as an off-hand remark.

"I'm pretty unpopular in the game, aren't I?" Drew laughed.

"Yeah, I wouldn't want to be in your shoes...that's for sure!" Takuya laughed. He patted Drew on the back to comfort the Coordinator. "Don't worry though. They hate me more. Way more!"

"The jury will rip us apart if we're in the Final Two." Drew said carefully, although he was trying to sound as casual as possible. "They'll be forced to pick the lesser of two evils."

"They'll be really pissed off if that happens." Takuya grinned. "We'd be the most unlikable Final Two _ever_!"

"And yet, that possibility doesn't sound so farfetched at all." Drew muttered. He glanced at Takuya with a crafty smile. "Am I right, Takuya?"

"Hey, anything can happen in this game." Takuya shrugged his shoulders.

"I agree." Drew nodded his head, smirking. "Think about it when you're competing in the challenge today. You might be pleasantly surprised what an open mind can do for you..."

- - -

James woke up early this morning, so he decided to watch the sunrise on Shipwreck Island by himself.

He found a shady spot on the island and made himself comfortable. Surrounding him were hundreds of Seels, most of them lying lazily on their blubbery fat as they sleep. In his typical life, this spectacle would literally translate to a goldmine for Team Rocket, who would try to steal as many Pokemon here as possible. But currently, James had no desire to do anything except to enjoy the serenity of this island. Every now and then, he needed a rare moment of solidity to himself. This was the time for him to reflect his thoughts in the past, the present, and the future.

In a few days, James would return to his old lifestyle as a Team Rocket member. But he did not know if he looked forward to it or not.

On one hand, he was thrilled at the prospect of reuniting with his friends again. He missed going on the zany adventures. He missed practicing the latest Team Rocket motto. He even missed the daily routine of getting blasted off by those annoying twerps. But along with the fun and glamorous side of his old life came the ugliness and misery. James did not look forward to returning to a life of poverty. It was a pessimistic and depressing life where he barely had money to purchase food everyday. It was also a life where he lacked any direction, achievement or success. It was a life of constant failure.

In society, failure was imminent for those who did not have money. James experienced this the hard way during the years he spent in Team Rocket. An old saying once said that money could not buy somebody happiness. James disagreed with that belief. He knew that winning the million dollars in this game could change his life drastically. It will transform him into a happier man. Or at least, the money will make his life look less of a bumbling mess.

_**James: **Win the game, win the money. That became my new temporary motto for the last few weeks. I've a rough journey so far and I don't know what lies ahead of me. What's going to happen to my life if I win the million dollars? And what's going to happen if I don't win? Well, I figure that Jessie and Meowth will kill me if I lose, but they'll get over it...eventually. Hey, I don't blame them. It's not everyday that we've a chance of winning a million dollars!_

James smiled timidly at the cameras. He let out a soft and gentle chuckle.

_**James: **Sometimes, I think I worry too much about the past and the future. What I need to do is focus on the present._

The smile on his face grew wider.

_**James: **What's important to me right now is to make it to the Final Two. I don't have high hopes if I can win against either Takuya or Drew, but uh...win or lose, I'll be okay. I'm proud of myself for making it this far regardless of how I rank. But of course, I'd really love to win this game!_

A few hours later, James returned to mainland. Having sorted out the conflicting thoughts in his head, he felt more relaxed, as if a heavy burden had been removed from his shoulders. The soothing trip to Shipwreck Island was exactly what he needed to refresh his morale. Now, James was prepared to jump back into game mode again. Or he would have been, but there was one problem that troubled James' conscience – one big problem that came in the form of Takuya Kanbara.

When James first joined Gorebyss on Day 13, he and Takuya became instant friends. For some reason, James found it extremely easy to get along with Takuya, whom many people considered to be toooverbearing or tooobnoxious. He could not describe their connection other than the fact that they _clicked_. James was just thankful to have met somebody like Takuya, a loyal friend who always had James' back and always included James in his plans.

But in the past week, James had lost Takuya's trust, again and again. He voted out Rika, who was supposed to be a trustworthy ally and a devoted friend. He also voted out May, even after Takuya begged him not to vote her out. It was as if James stabbed Takuya in the same wound twice. Only now did James realize that he might have lost Takuya's trust – and his friendship – forever.

"Takuya..." James muttered uneasily. He could see the athletic Frontier some distance away. James was not sure if his imagination was playing tricks on him or not, but Takuya seemed to be jogging towards him.

"There you are!" Takuya said, "We were looking for you."

"You were?" James asked with his eyebrows raised in surprise.

"We have to go to the immunity challenge soon," explained Takuya. "We didn't know where you were."

"I was on Shipwreck Island. I've been there since I woke up," said James.

"I see." Takuya said nonchalantly. He paused for a moment before adding, "By the way, the professor came by. He left you some breakfast to eat before the challenge."

"Oh...oh, that's great. Th...thanks." James nodded his head in an awkward manner.

"So yeah." Takuya muttered. He folded his arms across his chest. "That's it."

An uneasy silence passed between Takuya and James for a couple of seconds. James shifted his feet nervously on the ground. He lowered his head, avoiding any type of eye contact with the Frontier. Eventually, Takuya turned his back on James and began walking away. He only took a few steps before James called out for him again.

"Takuya!" James cried, sounding somewhat desperate in his voice.

Takuya stopped walking, but he did not turn around.

"I don't...I don't want to see us act like this. We talk to each other like we're strangers." James said.

There was no response from Takuya. After a few seconds, Takuya began walking away again. James, feeling frustrated, chased after the Frontier.

"I know I've betrayed you. And I know I've been a coward to you...and to Rika. But I...I'm sorry. I only want you to understand...how hard this is for me. I'm so sorry," whimpered James. "I know I've been a horrible friend."

The Frontier continued walking.

"I just want to ask you one question. Please." James gulped. His voice had been dwindled to a soft and raspy whisper. "Is there any hope of saving our friendship?"

Takuya sighed softly. He slowed down his steps until he came to an abrupt stop. He turned around and flashed a polite smile at the Team Rocket member.

"I think...we can be friends outside of this game." Takuya replied vaguely.

"Y...yes?" James asked, looking hopeful.

"You're not a bad person, James. Stop saying that about yourself." Takuya continued. The gentle smile on his face began to fade away. "And you're not a coward either."

He turned around.

"But I am."

And he walked away from James.

- - -

Sometimes, it seemed like the Survivor gods hated the Clamperl tribe. Or at least that was what Professor Birch assumed when it began to rain, just minutes before the three players arrived on the beach for their final immunity challenge. If the inopportune weather was a symbolic signal sent from the Survivor gods, then their message was clear. They wanted to inflict as much suffering to the players during the challenge as possible. Whoever wins the final immunity will have to _really _work for it.

"Welcome," Professor Birch greeted the three men with a reluctant smile. "The challenge hasn't begun yet and you're already drenched from head to toe."

"At least we won't be thirsty." Takuya grinned.

"First things first, I need the immunity necklace." Professor Birch said as he received the necklace from Takuya. "For the last time in this game, immunity is back up for grabs."

Professor Birch hanged the immunity necklace on a wooden pedestal. He turned around and faced the Clamperl tribe.

"The final immunity challenge is a test of willpower. How much do you want to win immunity? Let's find out." Professor Birch said, "You will raise your arms in the air behind your head. Your hands will then be tied together with a rope. This flimsy piece of rope is attached to a pail of water – or in this case, _rainwater_ – hanging above your head. It will not fall unless you give up and drop your arms. If it does fall, you're eliminated from the challenge."

He paused dramatically in the middle of his explanation.

"The last person standing will win immunity." Professor Birch said, smiling. "That person will not only be in the Final Two, but they'll get to decide _who _they're bringing along with them. It's a very powerful position to be in." The smile on his face grew wider. "And whether or not you get this power is up to you and your willpower."

"And how strong our arms are," added Drew mordantly.

Professor Birch instructed the three players to stand behind an individual pole. On top of every pole, there was a bucket of water, which was attached to the players' hands by a rope. Professor Birch made sure all of the players tied the rope to their hands tightly and properly. Once all the necessary procedures were completed, he stepped back and smiled at the three players.

"Survivors ready?" Professor Birch said, "The challenge starts now..."

"I'm just letting you guys know, I'm not giving up." Takuya turned to face James and Drew, who were both on his left. He grinned cheekily at the two men. "So, quit now and give us all a break."

"You wish." Drew scoffed.

"I'm not giving up either." James said. The Team Rocket member was standing in between Takuya and Drew. "But good luck, guys. May the best man win."

- - -

An hour passed by without much commotion. The rain continued pouring, but the men were used to it by now. Takuya tried engaging the other players in conversation, jokes, and even songs. But he got back little reception from James or Drew, who were both trying to concentrate on this challenge as much as possible.

"Damn. If I know it was going to rain, I would've worn something more..." Takuya muttered to himself.

"You know what they say, Takuya. Less is _more_!" Professor Birch joked. He was standing under a large beach umbrella, observing the challenge as a spectator from afar.

Clad in only a pair of khaki shorts, Takuya was regretting his decision to dress so sparsely in this challenge. He didn't even wear a t-shirt. At first, he thought this was the appropriate attire for an endurance challenge, since he did not want to be stuck wearing a sweaty shirt for hours. On hindsight, it was a horrible mistake. Takuya expected the entire afternoon to be sizzling hot, but he was obviously wrong.

To his left, he could see that Drew was wearing a bright yellow raincoat. The hood of his coat covered over Drew's head, sheltering him somewhat from the heavy rainfall. The Pokemon Coordinator wisely predicted from the grey skies this morning that it would rain today, so he came to this challenge prepared. Takuya cursed himself for not thinking in advance.

"Good job, players. You've just reach the one hour mark." Professor Birch announced.

"Whoo! Go us!" Takuya hollered in excitement. He turned his head towards the two other men. "Tired yet, guys?"

James gave a small nod of head, but Drew's ignored Takuya's question completely.

"Drew! Hey, don't be so rude! I'm talking to you, dude!" Takuya shouted. "Can you even hear me under that stupid raincoat!? Oh...you didn't fall asleep, did ya?"

Drew still didn't respond back. He just closed his eyes, choosing to ignore his surroundings so he could concentrate on the competition. This way, he could block out the rain, block out his fatigue, and block out Takuya's loud and aggravating voice.

"Drew!" Takuya screamed obnoxiously. "Can you hear me, Drew!?"

Drew sighed. He could sense Takuya's voice grating on his nerves. It was clear to him what the conniving Frontier was trying to do. Takuya was acting obnoxious in order to provoke a reaction from Drew, causing the Pokemon Coordinator to lose his composure and lose the challenge. And Drew hated to admit this, but it was actually working. Takuya was on his way to _annoy _Drew out of the endurance challenge.

As ridiculous as it might sound, enduring Takuya would be the biggest challenge of them all.

- - -

Drew did not open his eyes again until another twenty minutes passed by. By then, it had finally stopped raining, but Takuya had not stopped talking – or singing cheesy nursery rhymes, for that matter.

"Rain, rain, go away..." Takuya sang in an off-pitched voice. "Come again some other day..."

Ignoring the goggle-head, Drew turned his head to look at James. The Team Rocket member seemed like he was struggling in this challenge. It was evident through the pained expression that he wore on his face. After standing in the rain for ninety minutes, James felt wet, cold and exhausted. He didn't look like he enjoyed this challenge one bit.

"So, how are you guys doing?" Professor Birch asked. He glanced at James and smiled faintly. "James, you don't look so well."

"My arms are aching," complained James.

"Watch out there...you're shaking a little." Professor Birch warned.

"My hands are like...numb." James sighed unhappily, "I can't even feel my fingers."

Professor Birch nodded his head and turned towards Drew. The Pokemon Coordinator closed his eyes and disregarded the professor. He did not want to lose his focus. Professor Birch was just about to say something when he was suddenly interrupted by Takuya's voice.

"Hey, professor! Come over here!" Takuya shouted.

"What is it?" Professor Birch asked as he walked towards Takuya.

"There's an annoying itch on my left shoulder." Takuya grinned cheekily. "Can you get rid of it for me?"

"No can do, Takuya." Professor Birch laughed. "If you want, you can always quit the challenge and..."

"No, thank you. I'll pass on that one." Takuya shook his head. The grin on his face grew even wider. "I won't give up."

"Okay then." Professor Birch shrugged his shoulders. "Let's see how long the three of you can hold up."

- - -

It was nearly two hours since the challenge first started, but all three players were still in the competition. Takuya tapped his foot impatiently on the ground. This was getting _boring_.

He glanced over to his left to examine his competitors. On the farthest end, Drew was standing very still, his head tilted down and his eyes were shut. Takuya could not recall if Drew had spoken since the challenge started. Then again, Drew was never a very talkative person. He was a man of few words.

Standing beside Drew was a less composed James. Takuya noticed that the Team Rocket member's strength was faltering. James moved his body a lot lately as he tried to find a comfortable position on his feet. A few times, he swung his body a little too much and the pail of water above him looked like it would tip over. But it did not happen _yet_. Still, Takuya did not worry too much about James. He didn't look like he could hold on any longer.

"Players, you've made it two hours into the challenge." Professor Birch announced.

"It feels like two decades," joked James.

"I'm getting kind of hungry." Takuya grinned cheekily. He licked his tongue over his lips. "Do you have lunch for us, professor?"

"I do, but I'm not going to feed you." Professor Birch teased, "You'll have to come over here and get it."

"Come on, professor! Don't make this so hard on us!" Takuya exclaimed.

"They don't call it an _endurance _challenge for nothing, Takuya." Professor Birch said, smiling gently at the Frontier. "You're supposed to..."

_SPLASSSSSH!!!_

Drew opened his eyes in alarm. Somebody was out of the challenge!

He immediately turned to his right, hoping to see Takuya drenched from head to toe. Instead, it was James whose entire body was soaked in water. His hands were no longer in the air. They were resting somewhere on his knees. Above James' head, the pail of water was tipped over on its side. This signified James' elimination from the challenge.

"James is out!" Professor Birch announced. He ran over to the Team Rocket member and untied the rope from his hands. "I've a towel under the umbrella. You can dry yourself over there."

"Thanks." James mumbled dejectedly.

Drew stared at the Team Rocket member for a while, hoping to send some sort of message to his ally. But James never looked his way. He turned his back on Takuya and Drew, perhaps out of shame. Or perhaps he did it out of a guilty conscience. Perhaps James did not want Drew to see the remorse he felt for dropping out of the challenge on purpose.

_No, James won't do that. _Drew thought to himself. He tried going over possible rationales for James to lose this challenge. _James won't deliberately lose this challenge. He won't benefit anything. Not...not unless he has made a deal with Takuya. But no, he won't do that!_

Drew sighed softly under his breath. He could never be certain. He didn't know if James' elimination was intentional or accidental, but it did not matter anymore. James was now out of the challenge, leaving Drew to compete against Takuya in a one-on-one showdown. The fate of Drew's game now rested in his own hands. If he wanted to make it to the Final Two with James, he would have to earn it himself.

"It's down to two people – Takuya versus Drew!" Professor Birch announced. "One of you two will win immunity today." He stopped his sentence to insert a dramatic pause. "Who wants it more?"

- - -

Another hour quickly passed by. Drew was beginning to feel the fatigue take its tow on his body. Physically, he felt like he was on the verge of giving in. One strong breeze and he would be knocked over like a house of cards. His arms felt sore and his legs were aching. Lifting his arms in the air was not as easy as it sounded, especially since the slightest movement could cause the bucket of water to tumble from above. Sometimes, all it took was one untimely sneeze and the challenge could be over.

Takuya sneezed.

"Excuse me." Takuya muttered.

Drew swiftly turned his head towards Takuya. The Frontier was still dry. False alarm.

"You sound like you're a bit under the weather, Takuya." Professor Birch said.

"_You _try standing in the rain for over an hour. Let's see how _you _do." Takuya wrinkled his nose. He flashed a confident smirk at the professor. "Don't worry about me. I'll be fine."

As the conversation between Professor Birch and Takuya trailed off elsewhere, Drew turned his head away. He could not afford to be distracted by one of Takuya's many zany antics. In order for Drew to win this challenge, he must invest his full concentration in the competition. What he lacked in upper body strength, Drew made it up by his unrelenting willpower and determination to win the game. It was his tremendous mental strength that kept Drew going in this challenge.

Takuya sneezed again.

Once again, Drew turned his head to look at Takuya. The athletic Frontier had not moved at all. It was another false alarm.

However, it made Drew feel slightly better to know that Takuya was struggling as much as he was. Even though Takuya put on a strong façade in this challenge, Drew was beginning to see the cracks in his shield. It was only a matter of time before Takuya would drop out of this challenge. Drew could sense it.

"Are you sure you're okay, Takuya?" Professor Birch asked. He sounded more concerned in his voice than the previous time.

"Oh yeah, I'm like a pillar of strength!" Takuya grinned.

_He's going to drop. He's being too careless. _Drew thought to himself. He smiled impishly as he watched the athletic Frontier's body slowly lean towards the left.

"Nothing can bring me down!" Takuya added.

_Drop it, Takuya! Drop it! _Drew chanted inside his head. He gritted his teeth in silent anxiety. _Drop it already!_

In his frustration, Drew accidentally shifted his feet forward, causing him to stumble. As he tried to regain his balance, he tripped over a small rock on the ground. He fell backwards as he yanked the rope down with his hands. _SPLASSSSSSH! _Drew could feel the water poured over his stomach. He was out. The challenge was over.

"Drew is out!" Professor Birch announced excitedly. "Takuya wins immunity!"

"Yesssssssss!" Takuya screamed. He shook his fists triumphantly in the air, causing the bucket of water to pour over his head. "Yeah! Hell yeah!"

"Good job, Takuya," said James.

"For the third time in a row, you've won immunity." Professor Birch laughed. He walked over to the Frontier and removed the rope from his hands. Then, he placed the immunity necklace over Takuya's neck. Takuya beamed with joy.

"I...I've made it into the Final Two. Wow. Just...just wow!" Takuya chuckled in disbelief.

"Congratulations, Takuya! You deserved this, you really did." Professor Birch said, patting Takuya on the shoulder. The professor turned to Drew and James with a sad smile. "You've a huge decision ahead of you, young man. Not only are you in the Final Two, but you will get to decide who sits next to you tomorrow night."

"I know who I'm voting out." Takuya grinned.

"Takuya, do...do you remember what I told you earlier today?" Drew asked as he walked over to Takuya. Out of sheer politeness, the two of them shook hands, even though the gesture felt very insincere. "You should keep an open mind for tonight."

"Like I said, I've already made up my mind." Takuya smirked smugly.

"Open mind, Takuya." Drew repeated. He stared into Takuya's eyes with a mixture of desperation and helplessness in his gaze. "Keep an open mind."

Takuya shrugged his shoulders. He flashed an enigmatic smile at both Drew and James.

Somebody didn't know it yet, but their fate in this game had already been sealed.

- - -

"Welcome to tribal council, players." Professor Birch said, "I'll now bring in the members of our jury."

With Cassidy leading the pack, the six jurors solemnly entered tribal council. They sat down on the benches across from the three players. None of them looked particularly happy.

"Tonight, one more person will be voted out, thus completing our jury of seven." Professor Birch said, "James, how confident do you feel about tonight's vote? You're _so _close to the Final Two. Are you going to make it?"

"I don't feel confident at all." James replied nervously. He tilted his head to his left. "I...uh, I think I've a fifty-fifty chance of making it to the Final Two, but the ultimate decision lies in Takuya's hands."

"Drew, what about you?" Professor Birch asked. "Do you feel confident that you'll be sitting next to Takuya tomorrow night?"

"It's hard to tell, professor. I'd like to keep my chin up regardless what happens tonight," said Drew.

"James thinks it's a fifty-fifty decision tonight. Do you think those are accurate odds?" Professor Birch asked.

"Technically, yes." Drew nodded his head. He drew a soft sigh before continuing. "But Takuya said that he had already made up his mind, so..."

Failing to search the right words to finish his answer, Drew just shrugged his shoulders and laughed.

"Takuya, you're in a very powerful position tonight. Now, you're definitely going to be in the Final Two no matter what." Professor Birch said, shifting his body so he would face towards the Frontier. "But how confident are you that you're making the _right _decision tonight? How do you know you're voting out the right person?"

"It's a gut feeling, but I still feel confident about my decision." Takuya said with a boyish grin. "As for whether or not it's the right decision, I think only time will tell."

"Gentlemen, this is your last chance to pitch your case to Takuya. Why should he keep you around over the other person?" Professor Birch said, "Drew, I'll start with you."

"Takuya should bring me to the finals because he has a better chance of winning against me." Drew explained in a calm and composed manner. "Plus, he knows that if he brings James to the Final Two, Takuya won't be getting my vote for the win. My jury vote is going to James."

"So, you're threatening me with your jury vote?" Takuya asked impudently.

"You make it sound like I'm holding a gun beside your head." Drew chuckled. "I'm not threatening you, Takuya. I'm just offering you another perspective." He paused as a smarmy smirk crawled over the Coordinator's face. "The endgame is all about jury votes. And I can guarantee Takuya that he won't get a lot of those if he takes James to the Final Two."

"What about you, James?" Professor Birch asked.

"If Takuya has already made up his mind, nothing I say will be able to change it." James shrugged his shoulders. He turned to Takuya and smiled faintly at the Frontier. "So, do whatever you want."

"Okay, it's time to vote. Since James and Drew cannot vote for Takuya, their votes cancel each other out. There's no need for them to vote." Professor Birch explained, "Takuya will cast the sole deciding vote tonight."

Takuya nodded his head. Just as he was about to get up from his seat, he was interrupted by a sudden question from the professor.

"Takuya, before you go to vote, I have one last question." Professor Birch asked. "Are you voting based on personal reasons or strategic reasons?"

"It's strictly strategic." Takuya replied with no hesitation. "Nothing personal."

- - -

After Takuya cast his vote, he returned to his seat with a lopsided smile on his face. A few jurors tried studying his expression for some hint to the outcome, but Takuya was a closed book like always.

"I'll go get the vote," said Professor Birch.

Drew and James exchanged pessimistic glances with each other. It was not a good night for the two of them. Neither man intended to compete against Takuya in the Final Two, but their original plans were foiled by Takuya's unanticipated victory at the final challenge. And now, one of them won't even make it to the Final Two. Thirty eight days of their hard work and efforts would amount to nothing but an honorary and meaningless title in the game.

Professor Birch returned with the voting urn in his hands. He wore a grim expression on his face.

"The person voted off will be asked to leave tribal council area immediately," said Professor Birch.

James placed his sweaty hands on his knees and grabbed them. He could not predict how Takuya voted, but James anticipated the worst. Inside his head, he kept telling himself to calm down. Nonetheless, James felt extremely nervous, knowing that his destiny in this game was contained inside that one parchment in the voting urn.

Professor Birch put his hand inside the urn. A few seconds later, he pulled out one piece of folded parchment. That was it. It was _the _deciding vote.

Suddenly, Drew felt a tide of emotion sweeping over his entire body. Not anxiety. It was anger. Drew was angry that his fate had to be determined by an abrasive goggle-head who he had never respected as a player, or even as a person. But Drew felt even more furious at himself, because he lost the immunity challenge to Takuya _again_. He should be angry at himself for not trying hard enough at the challenge. He should be angry at himself for not stopping Takuya earlier before his long reign of victories. He should be angry at himself for not voting Takuya out when he was given the opportunity.

And now, it was too late. Takuya had all the power. Drew was reduced to nothing but a helpless creature pleading for Takuya's mercy.

But somehow, Drew did not think mercy _or _luck was on his side tonight.

"The fourteenth person voted out of Survivor: Dewford Islands..." Professor Birch announced, "And the final member of our jury..."

He turned over the parchment.

"James."

It took James a couple of seconds for the information to register with his head. Eventually, he accepted his fate with a gracious smile and a casual shrug. As he stood up from his seat, he placed his hand on Takuya's shoulder. He then walked over to Professor Birch and presented him with his torch.

"James, the tribe has spoken." Professor Birch said. He gave a dramatic pause before he extinguished the flame. "It's time for you to go."

James walked straight into the forest without looking back. Seconds later, his figure had already vanished amongst the darkness. And then, he was gone.

"I'd like to congratulate Drew and Takuya for making it to the Final Two. You're two different men who played with two different game styles." Professor Birch smiled faintly at the remaining players of the Clamperl tribe. "No matter what approach you used to get here, the important thing is that you're now one step closer to winning a million dollars. And by tomorrow night, one of you will be crowned as the winner of Survivor: Dewford Islands."

Takuya laughed nervously. Drew, who was still recovering from the outcome, only nodded his head in vague comprehension.

"You've the whole day tomorrow to present your case to the jury in front of you. _Why _should they give you a million dollars? _Why _are you the rightful winner of this game?" Professor Birch declared. He stared at the two players with a very serious expression on his face. "Use this time wisely, Clamperl. I'll see you tomorrow night."

At this time tomorrow, a winner will be crowned. The final showdown was between an unrelenting fighter and a ruthless manipulator. Both players encountered a series of vexatious obstacles and overcame a stack of unfavourable odds. And now, their journeys were coming to an end.

Who will be the Sole Survivor?

- - -

_**James' Final Words**_

To be honest, I'm disappointed to have made it this far and not go all the way. It's soooooo aggravating! It's like seeing the money being taken away right in front of my eyes. Not that I had a real shot of winning the million dollars anyway. But still, you can't blame a guy for dreaming...

I don't know what I could have done differently in this game. I never expected Takuya to bring me to the Final Two, but I did try patching up our friendship before the vote. It didn't work. At the end of the day, I know who my real friends are, regardless of what happens in this game. Those are the people who I'll take with me for life.

- - -

**DAY 39**

The last day of Survivor was not what Takuya expected. He was hoping for more of a festive and jubilant atmosphere, or at least some sort of congratulatory pat on the back for making it this far in the game. Instead, all he got was an entire day on the island with the despicable Drew.

On the bright side, Takuya fathomed that his situation could be a lot worse. Optimism was not normally one of his strong points, but he was counting his blessings that he wasn't stuck here with Cassidy on the last day. The mere thought of his vile nemesis sent shivers down Takuya's spine. Unfortunately, he still had to face the intimidating Team Rocket member on the jury one last time before she would disappear from his life forever. A vicious and self-righteous tirade was to be expected from her tonight, but Takuya only hoped that it would be short and painless.

Overall, the jury process was not something Takuya looked forward to. The seven people on the jury would determine who wins the million dollars in the end, but there were few who supported him for the win. Casey would probably follow Cassidy's footsteps and leash out an angry outburst in jury speech, but Takuya always thought of her as an annoying lapdog with little intelligence of her own. He was more intimidated by what he thought James and JP might say to him tonight. Both men used to be Takuya's friends until he stabbed them in the back. Now, Takuya wasn't even sure if he could apply the term 'friend' when he was speaking about James or JP. At least James expected to be voted out during tribal council, but JP never saw his demise coming at all. Takuya did not even have the decency to inform his _friend _he would be voted out that night.

Despite his unfavourable circumstances, Takuya still maintained an optimistic outlook for tonight. He couldn't afford to feel discouraged. Tonight would be one of the most important nights of his life. One million dollars was at stake, possibly depending on his performance at tribal council. Takuya Kanbara had to bring his best game to the table.

_**Takuya: **I'm here...in the Final Two...and one step away from winning a million dollars. Unbelievable! Just a few weeks ago, I was a marked man who had no shot in hell of winning this thing. It just goes to show you that even a crazy guy like me can win this game. Anything could happen!_

Takuya adjusted the goggles on his forehead as he spoke. There was a cheeky grin on his boyish face.

_**Takuya: **Last night, I voted James out. It was probably the hardest decision in the past thirty nine days. I'm not sure if I've a better chance of winning against Drew, but it's too late to regret my decision now. The fact is...I need James on that jury. I did the math in my head. I need four votes to win this game...and he's my fourth._

He held up four fingers on his right hand. Slowly, he lowered his index finger.

_**Takuya: **Rika is pretty much a guaranteed vote in my favour. And I'm counting on JP and May to vote for me, if they despise Drew as much as I do. So, that's three votes right there. I have to put James on the jury if I want the fourth vote – the winning vote. But then again, would he reward a million dollars to the guy who voted him out? You know what they say...an eye for an eye, a tooth for a tooth, and a vote for a million dollars..._

For the whole morning, Takuya lied lazily inside the shelter. He felt this was going to be a lazy day. Glancing around the campsite, he could see there were a few unwashed dishes piling up nearby the campfire. Neither man bothered to clean up the plates after breakfast today, nor did they clean up the plates that Professor Birch brought yesterday morning. Since it was their last day there, Takuya felt like he had a right to act like a slob. Sometimes, he felt that he had deformed to a primitive and uncivilized Neanderthal man who couldn't even take care of his own needs. But given a choice, Takuya would rather lie around accomplishing nothing than to clean up the mess in this campsite.

Besides, he figured he could use this time to prepare his speech for tonight. This speech was a pivotal one, since he had to convince the seven jurors why they should reward him with a million dollars after he lied, manipulated, and backstabbed so many players to get to the Final Two. Although Takuya loved to speak, he never claimed to be a man of words. He did not have a particularly eloquent vocabulary, or at least compared to the relatively articulate Drew. Still, Takuya was not worried. He had plenty of hours to think of an impressive speech that will persuade the jury members to vote in his favour.

The clock was ticking.

Drew, of course, prepared his jury speech days beforehand. He believed that the process of developing a significant speech like this one could not be crammed in the span of a few hours on the last day. Then again, Drew had been very certain that he would be in the Final Two for quite some time. And he was right. Drew loved being right.

His confidence was only rivalled by his tremendous amount of organization and effort he devoted to this game, specifically tonight. His background as a talented Pokemon Coordinator would come in handy when he presented his speech to the jury. He was used to performing in front of a live audience. He was used to being organized. He was used to feeling confident. Most importantly, Drew was used to _winning_.

The game of Survivor was similar to Pokemon Contests in many aspects. Drew understood that in order to become a victor in either event, he had to become cutthroat yet subtle. His strategy had to be gracious and shrewd, whether his audience was a panel of judges or a jury of seven. It was why Drew fared so well in this game. May, the other Pokemon Coordinator in this game, could have performed just as well, but Drew rightfully eliminated his toughest competition when he had the chance.

Although Drew thought of himself as the best player and the deserving victor of this game, others might see the reality in a different light. In Drew's mind, it was the _incorrect _light. The one thing he hated most about people was that they were generally stupid and resentful. Drew would not feel doubtful about the outcome of this game had the jury consisted of seven impartial judges who speculated the entire game from afar. Unfortunately, the fate of his game now rested in the hands of his seven previous competitors, who were bitter and jealous that Drew was in the Final Two instead of them.

If history was an indication of the future, then things do not look hopeful for Drew, since four of the jurors had cast votes against him just before they were voted off. To add more insult to injury, it didn't help matters that he was responsible for the demises of at least four people on the jury, most of which were his alliance members in the past. He had a hand in voting out TK, May, Casey, and JP – those four jurors alone could determine if Drew would win this game or not. Tonight, Drew will find out if the jury will forgive and forget, or if his backstabbing antics will finally catch up and cause him to lose the game.

_**Drew: **In my mind, I believed that I have already won Survivor. I played the best game and I'm going to stand by that when I make my point to the jury. Whether they like it or not, I outsmarted, outplayed, and outlasted them in every possible way. If they don't vote for me, then I'll know they're just bitter and jealous. That's all._

Drew rolled his eyes in disapproval. He flipped his hair with his hand.

_**Drew: **It's a little insulting that my opponent in the Final Two is an obnoxious idiot. At least James is a harmless and kind-hearted idiot. But I can't take Takuya seriously. I've been trying to get rid of him since the merge, yet he somehow stumbled his way here by accident. And if he wins this game, it will be the biggest upset in Survivor history. But hopefully, the jury will make the right decision tonight. There must be at least four functional brains in that bunch, right?_

An arrogant smirk spread across his face.

_**Drew: **Mark my words. Takuya Kanbara will not win this game._

By evening, both men felt as prepared as they could possibly be. Their belongings were packed, their farewells were made, and their minds were set. All that was left was a notification for them to go to tribal council.

"Let's go check treemail," said Takuya.

"One last time." Drew added as he nodded his head.

The two men began trekking along the river in silence. Along the way, they passed by the tribe's motorboat, tied to an oak tree by rope. Drew felt a sudden case of reminiscence as he approached the boat. He laid his hand on it, and his fingers slowly ran across the white paint until he came upon two roughly engraved words. They read: "_BROCK SUCKS"._

"Seeing this makes me feel warm and fuzzy inside." Drew laughed.

"I always wanted to know the story behind that." Takuya raised an eyebrow. A knowing grin spread across his face. "It was you, wasn't it?"

Drew shrugged his shoulders and moved on.

"Guilty as charged." Takuya mouthed the words to a nearby cameraman.

At last, the two men arrived at the tribe's mailbox. As always, the roll of parchment was found inside the beak of a tiny Wingull. Drew gently removed the note from its mouth.

"Are you ready?" Drew asked as he unrolled the parchment in his hands.

"Yeah, I suppose." Takuya laughed nervously. "This is it, dude!"

"The Final Two is to proceed to the final tribal council immediately." Drew read. Takuya stood behind him, looking over the Pokemon Coordinator's shoulder. "But first, you must pass through a rite of passage, containing the memories of fourteen players who have fallen before you. Pay your respects to your friends, your tribe members, and most importantly, your competitors."

"I hope they have a tissue box ready." Takuya laughed. He ran his finger down his face to imply an imaginary tear. "This is too emotional. I could start crying like a baby!"

"Great. I _totally _want to remember these people for the rest of my life." Drew added sarcastically.

"Come on, man." Takuya grinned. He put a friendly arm around Drew's shoulder. "Let's get this rite of passage crap over with so I can win a million dollars."

"I see that you're lying already...lying to yourself, that is." Drew remarked. He shook Takuya's arm off his body. "You should be prepared for tribal council tonight."

"Ha ha. You're so much fun." Takuya stared at Drew humourlessly. "Seriously, let's take this moment to...you know, congratulate ourselves for making it this far! I'll...uh, I'll start! Drew, you have been a worthy competitor! There's nobody who would make a better runner-up to this game than you!"

Takuya grinned. He extended his arm to Drew for a handshake. The Pokemon Coordinator looked hesitant for a moment, but he accepted Takuya's hand with a gracious smile.

"Likewise, Takuya." Drew said.

"I wish you the best of luck tonight." Takuya laughed. "And may the best dude win!"

- - -

The rite of passage began at the entrance of the forest. An abandoned torch was found lying on the ground. Feeling curious, Takuya picked it up and revealed that the torch belonged to Butch, the first victim of the game.

"He's _Botch_, right? I don't know the guy at all." Takuya shrugged his shoulders.

"He's the founder of the short-lived Breakfast Club alliance. I'll always remember him for his extreme arrogance." Drew smirked. "And the way he treated most people with almost no respect."

"Stop it, Drew. This moment is _not _about you! Stop talking about yourself already!" Takuya laughed, punching Drew playfully in the shoulders.

Drew glared angrily at Takuya, but did not say anything. They moved on.

_**Butch: **The best player didn't win because he got voted off first! We all know I would've dominated this game if I lasted longer. Bastards!_

The next torch they came across belonged to Suzie, the second fallen victim. The short and stumpy torch was leaning against a tree. Takuya smiled as he approached it.

"Suzie was awesome!" Takuya exclaimed. He picked up the torch and lifted it in the air.

"She seems too young for the game," said Drew.

"Too naïve," added Takuya with a nod of head.

_**Suzie: **I'm really, really happy that I got out of this game before it got really, really nasty!_

The cheery atmosphere faded away when Drew and Takuya arrived at the third torch. It was Zoe's torch. Takuya fell silent as he walked over to the torch, his lips pursed with a dismal frown.

"Oh Zoe..." Takuya sighed softly.

He closed his eyes and planted a gentle kiss on the torch. Drew smirked, looking more amused than he should be.

"I'm doing this for you, Zoe" Takuya whispered to the torch. He clenched his fists together tightly. "I'll win the game for you."

_**Zoe: **I went into this game wanting to constantly prove something to people. I guess I came on a little too strong. I should have stayed low and quiet in the first couple of days._

Several trees away, they found the fourth torch, which belonged to Delia. When he first saw it, Drew felt a sheepish smile spread across his face.

"I competed with Mrs. Ketchum in the first reward challenge." Drew said. "When I began celebrating, she told me that only a true winner shows humility after a victory."

"Sounds like what a loser will say to make themselves feel better." Takuya snickered.

"She did horrible at that challenge, by the way." Drew added.

"She sucked in all of the challenges. She was totally useless." Takuya shook his head and scoffed. "Hey, look where she is, and look where we're at now!"

"Lesson learnt." Drew nodded his head eagerly.

_**Delia: **Everybody is a winner if they can walk out of this game with their heads high and their dignities intact. I'm glad I'm one of the few who accomplished this feat._

The next torch did not ignite much conversation between the two men. Drew didn't have much to say about the girl he never met. Takuya had a lot of choice words for Mimi, but he would just like to forget that Mimi ever existed. And after all, some things were better left unspoken about.

"She wasn't good at the challenges either." Drew said finally, after struggling to remember anything memorable about the skinny brunette. "Why did you keep her around for so long?"

"We didn't have a choice." Takuya replied.

"That's why Huntail kept beating Gorebyss in the challenges." Drew said in a matter-of-fact voice.

"Mimi cooked some great meals, I'll give her that." Takuya said. He wore a cocky little smile as he grabbed Mimi's torch with his hand. "But that's the only productive thing she did for our tribe. Good riddance."

He dropped Mimi's torch on the ground and walked away.

_**Mimi: **The island was brutal in so many ways! Like, all of the lotions in the world could not make my skin look healthy again. Ugh. I give kudos to the Final Two for lasting this long._

Brock's torch stood strong and sturdy amidst the trees. He was the sixth victim of the game. Takuya didn't have a lot to say, but Drew lingered around his torch, smiling at it in satisfaction.

"He was a good guy. A good leader," said Drew.

"He was a beast in the challenges too." Takuya added. He gave a puzzled glance at the Pokemon Coordinator. "I thought he would've lasted way longer in this game."

"But he didn't know _how _to play this game, not discreetly anyway." Drew shrugged his shoulders dismissively. "That's the problem."

_**Brock: **There's one reason that led to my early downfall – I started on a tribe with men. If only I began the game in a tribe with seven beautiful women, things would've been so much different. I could've charmed them with my rugged good looks, for example._

Takuya and Drew found the seventh torch nearby, standing only a short distance away from where Brock's torch was. Takato's torch distinguished itself from the rest with all the interesting art carved on the wood. Takuya examined the entire torch with an amazed expression.

"Whoa...this kid is a good artist!" Takuya muttered. He was staring at a picture of a tiny Seel drawn on the torch. "He seems like a decent guy too."

"We were too different." Drew said in a dismissive and disapproving tone. "He was too inflexible on many things. Talking strategy with Takato was like pounding my head repeatedly on a brick wall."

"Good for him. At least there's someone sane enough to stay away from you." Takuya grinned.

_**Takato: **I regret that I didn't make it further in the game. I would've really loved to be on the jury..._

"We're finished with half the passage already," remarked Drew.

"Wait. Help me find the next torch." Takuya grinned. "That one is gonna be great."

"Cassidy?" Drew said uncertainly.

"Yeah, I have a _lot _of things I want to say to her." Takuya laughed.

"You'll have your chance. You can say it to her face on the jury." Drew said with a smirk.

"Are you crazy!?" Takuya waved his hands frantically in the air. "Do you want her to murder me on the spot!?"

The two men finally located Cassidy's torch, standing triumphantly on a stump. Takuya ran over to the stump, picked up the torch and threw it to the ground. While Drew looked on with an amused expression, Takuya raised his arms in victory.

"That one is for Rika!" Takuya exclaimed.

Feeling unsatisfied, he picked up the torch and tossed it to the ground again.

"And this one is for Zoe!" Takuya shouted angrily.

"Well, she's not that bad..." Drew muttered.

_**Cassidy: **A lot of people expect me to be a bitch, but I'm actually a very sophisticated and highly intelligent woman. That said, I do have a lot of things I want to criticize about the Final Two. I hope the boys are ready for tonight, because I sure am!_

The ninth torch belonged to JP Shibayama, lying lazily on the ground. Just as Takuya was about to stop and comment, Drew walked right past it as if he never saw the torch.

"Hey, show some respect!" Takuya said, putting his hands on his hips. "He was in your tribe, you know!"

"You go ahead. I'll wait here." Drew said, leaning his back against a tree. "Tell me when you're done."

"You're that cold, huh?" Takuya asked.

"I just don't want to acknowledge him as a player, that's all." Drew shrugged his shoulders.

_**JP: **I'm kind of angry because both Drew and Takuya backstabbed me when they're supposed to be my friends. I had their backs the whole time, but that's apparently not the case with them. So, let's just say there're other combinations of the Final Two that I'd like to see than those two knuckleheads._

Even though Drew and Takuya were supposed to stay on a marked route, they wandered off the path and became lost. After walking around in circles for a while, the two men finally stumbled upon the right route again. However, the next torch they encountered was Rika's torch.

"She wasn't voted off next, was she?" Takuya asked, looking confused.

"Casey was the tenth person voted out," said Drew. He looked around the forest. "We must've missed her torch somewhere."

"Did we walk right past it?" Takuya asked.

"Probably." Drew nodded his head. He turned to Takuya with a nonchalant expression. "Do you want to go back and look for it?

Takuya and Drew exchanged knowing glances with each other. They smirked. The answer was more than obvious.

"So, what can you say about Rika Nonaka..." Drew began, but he was interrupted by Takuya's abrupt laughter.

"We're such assholes, you know that?" Takuya snickered. "We don't even acknowledge that poor girl in the memory walk!"

_**Casey: **I'm not happy with the Final Two at all! One is a heartless scumbag, and the other guy is also a heartless scumbag. I don't think either Takuya or Drew deserves to win, but I have to reward one of them with a million dollars. So, I'll probably vote for the lesser of two evils...and that kind of sucks._

Takuya turned to Rika's torch with a fond smile. There were thirty three notches carved on the torch, resembling the number of days that she spent on this island. Takuya vaguely recalled Rika's habit of marking her torch to form a calendar on the island.

"Coolest chick to play Survivor _ever_!" Takuya grinned. He flashed a thumbs-up to the torch. "She's also the most intimidating chick to play Survivor _ever_!"

"She's quite a character, isn't she?" Drew smirked. "She has a unique outlook to life."

"I don't even know if I really _got _her. That Rika...she's just one big confusing mystery." Takuya laughed, scratching his head. "All I know is that she can kick my ass any time of the week!"

_**Rika: **Like them or not, they're in the Final Two. It's the dumbass versus the smartass. This should be interesting. Hopefully, the goggle-head will pull through. I want him to do less of kissing ass with the jury, and more of kicking Drew's ass to where the moon doesn't shine._

The next torch belonged to May, the twelfth victim of the game. Her torch was decorated with similar drawings found on Takato's torch. Both Takuya and Drew stared at her torch with a long profound silence.

"Here's another cool girl." Takuya finally said. He flashed a wide smile at her torch. "She was the sweetheart of the game."

"If you say so," Drew muttered. He sounded somewhat uncomfortable as he spoke. "We had a love-hate relationship going on."

"I think the hate is more on your side, you big jerk." Takuya said jokingly.

"She was a decent competitor," admitted Drew.

"Yeah, I don't know what's going on between you two..." Takuya laughed. He nudged Drew with his elbow. "But she's pretty hot though, isn't she?"

Drew ignored him.

_**May: **Wow, I've a really important decision ahead of me. I mean, I'm giving somebody a million dollars! That's a lot of power in my hands...and it feels kind of scary! I think I know who I'm voting for, but first I'm going to listen to what they say tonight. A certain you-know-who might convince me to change my mind..._

They found TK's torch lying on the ground. Out of respect, Drew picked the torch up and placed it against a tree. Ironically enough, the torch wouldn't stand on its own though, because there was a tiny chip on the bottom. Drew adjusted the position so TK's torch would lean against the tree without falling down.

"He's a nice guy all around." Takuya said, smiling politely at the torch. "I didn't always meet eye to eye with him, but...he's alright."

He paused for a moment before he relaxed his smile a little.

"He's Golden Boy," added Takuya.

"TK made it further than any of us gave him credit for." Drew said, also smiling at the torch. "I tip my hat to him."

"He has one hell of a journey, that's for sure!" Takuya laughed.

_**TK: **They voted me out, but I harbour no ill feelings towards Drew or Takuya. I respect both of their games, although I've a few questions about their strategies. I haven't made up my mind who I'm voting for yet. But...uh, but I'll hopefully reward the person who's most deserving of the money._

Last but not least, there was James' torch. He was the fourteenth victim of the game. Both Drew and Takuya approached the torch, nodding their heads in acknowledgement.

"James played a pretty good game." Drew admitted.

"He didn't receive a single vote until the last tribal council." Takuya said. He lowered his head in shame. "And that was from me, so it doesn't really count."

"Not to mention...he voted for the _right _person at every tribal council. That's quite an accomplishment." Drew laughed. "Even I didn't achieve that!"

"That's because you're a bad player, Drew." Takuya teased.

"Should I remind you that you voted with the minority in three out of the four past tribal councils?" Drew asked with a conceited smirk.

"But they're all votes to get _you _out of the game." Takuya grinned. "So, they're worth it."

_**James: **Survivor is coming to an end. I can't wait to go home, reunite with my friends, and forget everything bad that has happened on this island. Not to discredit what Drew and Takuya accomplished though! They both should be commended for their hard work. They're two different men who played with two very different game styles, so it's hard to decide who played the best one..._

The rite of passage was over.

Only two torches remained. They were found at the exit of the forest, standing adjacent to each other.

Drew grabbed one, Takuya grabbed the other.

And the two finalists proceeded to their final tribal council.

- - -

Professor Birch stood on top of a summit, looking over the majestic waterfall below him. From a distance, he could identify the two finalists hiking up the mountain to reach their final tribal council. They were both carrying their torches, lit with two strong flames that illuminated their path in the middle of this solemn and restful night. Professor Birch slowly nodded his head to himself in acknowledgement. It was time.

When Drew and Takuya entered tribal council, the place looked hauntingly empty at first. The jury had not arrived yet. As usual, there was a large bonfire placed in the centre of the set. It was accompanied by a glass sculpture of the Dewford Dewgong nearby. In front of the sculpture stood Professor Birch, dressed in a long white laboratory coat and a pair of unfashionable brown sandals – his usual attire. Professor Birch greeted the two men with a friendly smile and motioned them to sit down on the wooden bleachers.

"Welcome to the final tribal council," said Professor Birch. He paused, surveying the two men's faces for their reactions. "We'll now bring in the members of our jury."

Cassidy entered, carrying a confident and fierce stride in her steps. JP and Casey followed behind her, both shooting resentful glares at the two finalists. Rika came in next, her face devoid of any emotion as usual. May and TK walked in after her, and Professor Birch soon noticed they were the only two jurors smiling pleasantly tonight. And finally, James arrived with his head down and his back turned away from the two finalists. He silently made his way to the jury bench, sitting down next to TK.

"Thirty nine days ago, sixteen of you competed in the journey of a lifetime. Now, only two remain." Professor Birch declared, "Drew and Takuya, congratulations for making it this far in the game. Everything you've worked so hard for now boils down to this moment. Here tonight, we'll acknowledge your accomplishments, your actions, and your adventures in the game." The professor paused as he took a brief glance of the seven jurors. "This is it. This is the final judgment."

Professor Birch cleared his throat. He turned his head back to Drew and Takuya, both of them exchanging smiles of anticipation.

"The jury, composed of seven players who you had a hand of directly or indirectly removed from the game, will decide which one of you deserves to win the title of Sole Survivor _and _the coveted one million dollars." Professor Birch announced, "There is a lot at stake, but the power rests entirely in the jury's hands. So, what you say or do tonight might influence how the jury will vote at the end of this tribal council."

Professor Birch paused. He turned towards Takuya, who was grinning nervously at Rika on the jury.

"It's time for your opening remarks. This is your chance to convince the jury why you think you deserve the victory." Professor Birch said. "Takuya, we'll start with you first."

Takuya nodded. He looked hesitant at first, debating with himself whether or not he should stand up to make his speech. He stood up a few seconds later, but the jury did not look impressed with the tardiness in his movements. They were already losing patience with the Frontier. This didn't look good.

"So...hey there, everyone. Long time no see." Takuya grinned clumsily as he addressed the jury of seven. Only Rika returned a thin, wry smile back at the Frontier, but it was enough of a response to encourage Takuya to pour more confidence into his voice. "I'm going to make this short and sweet. I think I should win the title of Sole Survivor because that's what I did out here – I _survived_."

He paused as the grin on his boyish face grew even wider.

"The odds were against me since the beginning of the game. I volunteered to be part of a twist that I knew _nothing _about, and uh...I became the only guy in a tribe with seven women. So, right off the bet, I was in a minority. I was the underdog." Takuya said, smiling directly at May. "And throughout the game, I was constantly in the minority but I kept on surviving. It had gotten to a point where everybody wanted me gone, and I soon became a minority of one."

Takuya paused. He let out a forced chuckle.

"But I did what I did best...I survived. I acted as if my life depended on the immunity challenges. And I won four of those when I needed to win them the most," said Takuya. He proudly held up four fingers in his hand. "And isn't that what Survivor is all about? Surviving against the odds? Because that's what I did out here...I used all my resources, I talked strategy with everybody, and I did everything I could to get to where I am today. So, I hope you guys can see that I played one _hell _of a game. And uh...thanks for listening!"

As Takuya sat down, he caught a glimpse of the satisfied expressions on several jurors' faces. It was exactly the reaction Takuya had hoped for. They didn't have to like him, but they should at least respect him for the obstacles that he overcame in this game.

Whether they liked it or not, he _deserved _to be in the Final Two.

Without waiting a response from Professor Birch, Drew stood up next for his opening remarks. He was growing antsy as he listened to Takuya flattered the jurors with his suave and charming words. It was Drew's turn to steal the glory.

"Good evening, jurors. I come here tonight pleading all of you to put aside your bias and keep an open mind." Drew began. He smiled graciously at the jury of seven, but none of them returned the friendly gesture. "Do not judge me based on whether or not I fulfilled a promise or a loyalty to you, because that's not what the game of Survivor is about. I'm not honest, I'm not loyal, and I never claimed to be any of the above. I might have backstabbed some of you – in fact, I had a hand in voting out _most _of you on that jury, but I don't want you to hold a bitter grudge against me because I played the game like it was meant to be played. After all, outsmarting your competitors _is_ the essence of Survivor."

Drew paused, examining the reactions on the jury members' faces. None of them showed any trace of emotion, other than May who wore a slight smirk on her face.

"I've said this many times before, but I'm going to repeat it once more tonight. In the game of Survivor, you have to separate your emotions from your strategy. A lot of you failed to accomplish that and it's why you're sitting on the jury tonight." Drew continued, "The only exception to this rule is Takuya, who acts on a foolish impulse, but I believe he stumbled into the Final Two by accident. There were many times he could have been voted off, but I kept him alive in this game by a thread. He did not have any control over his own destiny. _I _did."

Takuya shot an offended look at the Pokemon Coordinator, but Drew ignored him.

"What distinguishes me from Takuya is that I'm not only a survivor, but I'm also a dominator. I dominated this game from start to finish. I controlled almost every vote in this game. I was the undisputed mastermind. The evidence? Well, most of you are sitting on that jury because of _me._" Drew said with a smug smirk. "But instead of being angry at me, I ask you to view this from an impartial perspective. Because that is the only way you'll see what a stellar game I've played. Judge me based on the strategy I've played, not because I've betrayed you in the past. Tonight, I want you to keep an open mind." Drew gave a small bow. "Thank you for your time."

Professor Birch nodded his head at Drew, who sat down in his seat with a satisfied smirk. Sitting beside him, Takuya looked annoyed. His arms were folded across his chest as a defense mechanism.

"Thank you, gentlemen." Professor Birch said. He shifted his body to face the seven jurors. "Jury, in a moment, you'll have your chance to address the two finalists with a comment or a question. Take your time and collect your thoughts. And JP, we'll begin with you."

- - -

JP Shibayama walked up to stand in front of the two finalists. He kept some distance away from Drew and Takuya, but he was at a close enough proximity to appear intimidating and powerful, just as JP had hoped for. The chubby Frontier placed his hands behind his back and shifted his feet, trying to stand in a comfortable position. When he finished making his adjustments, he looked up at the two men and smiled.

"Hello, guys. I've observed the two of you at tribal council for a while. And I can't help but notice an interesting trend over time," said JP. The friendly smile on his face was beginning to fade away. "At the end of each tribal council, Drew just betrayed someone in his own alliance, while Takuya is in the outs of his tribe once again. And dude, it feels like I'm watching the same thing occur at every single tribal council! Drew screws over one of his friends, Takuya watches a friend get voted off, repeat, repeat, repeat. It's like watching a really boring loop."

A couple of the jurors laughed. Hearing the laughter encouraged JP to continue his speech with even more confidence and snideness.

"Takuya, I wished I could feel sorry for you, but you brought everything onto yourself." JP shook his head dramatically. He frowned at the athletic Frontier in disapproval. "You had so many opportunities to improve your position in this game, but you continue to make these _really_ stupid mistakes...and you end up putting all of your allies at peril, dude."

"I beg to differ," said Takuya.

"At the eighth tribal council, I had the power to vote out either you or Cassidy. I chose to keep you around because I valued our friendship. How do you repay me? Well, you voted me out at the next tribal council!" JP exclaimed. He shook his head angrily at nobody in particular. "And in my mind, that's a really _ungrateful _thing to do, because I risked my entire game to save you, but you couldn't do the same thing for me!"

"First off, I'm sorry for voting you out." Takuya said, looking somewhat sheepish as he gave this reply.

"So, you admit that you made the wrong move by apologizing to me?" JP asked, raising an eyebrow.

"I apologize for being a bad friend." Takuya answered vaguely.

"I felt that was your biggest mistake in the game, because by keeping Rika around, you've limited your possibilities and actually hindered your own game," said JP. "I, on the other hand, would have taken you under my wing. You would've gained some sort of power in this game instead of being in the outs at every tribal council."

"You were asking me to vote Rika out...and I couldn't do it," muttered Takuya.

"Then don't complain about not being in the minority! You were given a chance to improve your position in the game, but you were stupid enough not to take it!" JP snapped angrily.

"I'm sorry you feel that way." Takuya shrugged his shoulders.

"And Drew, don't try to justify your backstabbing by saying that it's part of the game." JP said, entirely ignoring Takuya's remark. "Last time I recall, everybody in your alliance had your back, but you just kept screwing them over and over for no reason at all. You didn't play this game with a lot of tact or subtlety at all."

Drew managed to suppress a smug smirk from appearing on his face. If he was in a different position tonight, he would have formulated tons of rebuttals to JP's seemingly hypocritical statement.

"Let's go back to the night I was voted off. It was the ninth tribal council and there were eight of us left," described JP. He was glaring directly at the Pokemon Coordinator. "Drew, you and I made a deal that we'll vote out Rika. Had you not switched your vote – and I _know _you were the traitor because I've already discussed this with May – but had you not screwed me over, Rika would have been voted off, and Huntail would have risen to the top once more."

"JP, you're leaving out the part when you betrayed the Huntail alliance at the previous tribal council. You've proven to me then that you're not a loyal or trustworthy person, so I had no obligations to stay loyal to you either." Drew interjected.

"Cassidy doesn't count. She was notpart of our alliance. She was never part of our _core_," argued JP. He narrowed his eyes angrily at the Pokemon Coordinator. "I had your back this entire time, Drew. I would've never voted you out. But you did, you forced a tie and you convinced May to switch her vote too. You're the one who wrecked our entire alliance!"

"I'm not denying it. It was a great move on my part. I couldn't have made it this far if I stuck with the Huntail alliance the whole way," said Drew.

"But you were in no danger of going that night! By voting me out, you actually lost someone in your own alliance. So, that was a really stupid move on your part!" JP spitted angrily on the ground.

"That's where you're wrong. Voting you out benefited me because you were lying to everybody. You lied to me, you lied to May, you lied to Takuya...you just weren't a trustworthy person. That's why I couldn't keep you around," said Drew.

"And what about the others? What about Casey, or May, or TK? They never lied to you. Why did you vote them out? Admit it, Drew...you don't have a legitimate reason of backstabbing any of us at all." JP said, speaking in a louder tone than he intended. "How can you sleep at night, knowing that you've backstabbed four of your allies who were completely loyal to you?"

"I sleep with pleasure," replied Drew with a smug smirk.

"You don't feel guilty at all?" JP asked one more time, as if he was trying to probe a certain answer from the Pokemon Coordinator. "Not one bit?"

"No, I'm not here to make friends. I'm here to win, whatever it takes," said Drew calmly.

"Whatever." JP rolled his eyes, looking unsatisfied. "My question for both of you is this...do you regret voting me out from the game?"

"No." Drew replied instantly.

"Sorry, but no," said Takuya with an apologetic smile.

"Dude...wrong answer." JP grinned belligerently at the two men. Before either of them had time to retort, the chubby Frontier already turned around to face Professor Birch. "I'm done, professor."

And JP Shibayama returned to his seat.

- - -

Casey stepped up to address the two finalists next. At first, she felt a little nervous to be in the centre of attention, but she also enjoyed this moment in a way. This was _her _moment. After all, it was Drew and Takuya sitting in front of her, two of the men who wronged her so many times in the game. And now, one of them was about to win a million dollars. It was hard for Casey to _not _have an opinion about the injustice done here!

"Well, that's kind of a hard act to follow!" Casey chuckled.

Drew and Takuya exchanged knowing smiles with each other.

"But JP brought up a good point in his...speech," said Casey cautiously. She didn't want to hurt JP's feelings, but she thought he had been rambling for the last few minutes. "You both made some stupid mistakes in this game."

Casey paused. She briefly shuffled her feet on the ground.

"Drew, you speak like you play this _perfect _game and you're some sort of brilliant _mastermind_. But I...uh, I'm going have to disagree with you on that." Casey laughed. "When Cassidy was voted out, you were blindsided just like me. You had no idea that your...allies teamed up together and outsmarted you. And they got you _good_!"

Drew shrugged his shoulders. He expected someone to pinpoint the weakest part of his game, and he had a prepared refutation if Casey would give him the opportunity to speak.

"Takuya, you made even more mistakes than Drew. Sometimes, I don't think you had any idea what you were doing at all!" Casey grinned.

Takuya rolled his eyes. He could sense that the petite baseball lover got a thrill just for insulting him in public.

_Let her have this moment_. Takuya thought to himself. _We'll see who's laughing when I bring home the million dollars._

"But what do I know? I'm just an innocent bystander in this game. Don't let me be the judge of your strategies!" Casey's cheeky grin grew wider. "The two of you have played the game together for a long time. You should know each other's strengths and weaknesses by now. So...my question for both of you is: what was the _worst _mistake the other person has made in this game?"

Casey took a step back and smiled. She wanted to see Drew and Takuya rip into each other as much as possible. This should be good.

"Drew, I want you to answer first," said Casey.

"Well, you're right. Takuya did make a lot of mistakes in this game. It's hard to name just _one._" Drew smirked.

"Give me the _worst _one," repeated Casey.

"I believe his worst mistake occurred at the tenth tribal council." Drew said slowly. He processed his words in his head first before he spoke. "It was the only time when Gorebyss had an advantage over Huntail in numbers, and if the four of you worked together, you could've eliminated the three Huntail members one by one. But for some reason, Takuya wanted the entire tribe to vote you out. It was obviously not in his best interests, but then again...it's Takuya. You and I both know he's not the sharpest tool in the shed."

Casey nodded her head eagerly. Drew could tell it was an indication that he gave an answer she wanted to hear. She turned towards Takuya.

"I think Drew's biggest mistake in the game is underestimating _me_." Takuya replied. He shot a spiteful glare at the Pokemon Coordinator before continuing. "It's obvious that he wanted me gone for a long time, yet he can never find a way to get me out of the game. I'm pretty sure he doesn't want to sit next to me in the Final Two, but here I am! I'm his worst enemy and his biggest mistake. And if I win the game, I know it's going to crush his ego. Drew will regret not voting me out earlier for the rest of his life."

Casey looked thoughtful as she processed Takuya's answer in her head.

"Thanks. That's it." Casey said, smiling weakly at the two finalists. "I appreciate your answers."

To be honest, Casey didn't want either of the men to win the game. They had both used her at one point or another. Sadly, the rules dictate that she had to pick a winner amongst these two duds. For Casey, tonight's decision boiled down to choosing the lesser of two evils.

In other words, who does Casey want to see lose _more_?

- - -

The third juror to ask a question was Rika Nonaka. As the icy Tamer stepped up, Takuya couldn't help but sigh in relief. After facing two difficult jurors, he was grateful to know he had at least one supporter on that jury. Even though Rika might not necessarily show it in her expressionless face, he knew she was a guaranteed vote in his favour.

"Summarize your games in one word." Rika grunted.

At first, Drew was startled at the straightforwardness of her question. He waited a few seconds, expecting Rika to begin some sort of critical diatribe about how Drew and Takuya failed to play the game. But as usual, Rika was a woman of few words. When making a point, she didn't like to talk around in circles.

"Survival...for obvious reasons," said Takuya.

"Dominance. That's what I've done for the entire game." Drew replied.

"Is that all, Rika?" Professor Birch asked.

Rika nodded her head and walked back to her seat.

- - -

It was May's turn next. She walked up in front of the two finalists with a sweet and polite smile on her face. Takuya instantly fell at ease. There was something about her casual and happy-go-lucky attitude that endeared her to the athletic Frontier. He could tell that May was going to be one of the easier jurors to handle tonight.

"Hi, guys! First off, I want to congratulate both of you for making it to the Final Two." May said, clasping her hands together over her chest. "You don't get nearly enough credit for all your hard work."

"Thanks, May." Takuya grinned.

"Tonight, I want to talk about honesty, because it's one of the values that I treasure in my heart." May continued, "Unfortunately, there are some occasions when I felt both of you have been dishonest in this game. So, here's the opportunity to cleanse your souls. I want you to list all the lies you've told in this game and why."

The muscles in Drew's face immediately tensed up. He glared warily at May, but she looked oblivious to his reaction.

"Drew, why don't you start first?" May asked in a sweet voice.

"Okay, sure." Drew cleared his throat. He cursed himself for being caught off guard by May's innocent little question. Even though she was trying to undermine him in front of the jury, he would not back down from her trap. "Where to begin..."

"This could take a while." Takuya joked.

"The first lie I've told is to Butch. I promised him that I'll join his alliance and vote out Takato, but I backed out of it at the last second with James." Drew explained. "We decided that Butch wasn't trustworthy enough and he would've dragged down our tribe morale."

Drew briefly glanced at the blue-haired Team Rocket member before continuing. James did not look back.

"The second lie I've told is to Brock. We were supposed to be in an alliance together and vote out TK, but Brock just threatened me too much as a leader. I wanted him to go so the Huntail trio could break up." Drew said, "I had no choice but to mislead him at tribal council. I can't let him know beforehand that he's going, or he'd find a way to campaign and stay."

May tapped her foot impatiently on the ground.

"The third lie I've told is to you and Takato. I lied to the two of you at the merge when I said that Huntail will stick together at the merge. It turns out that we actually want Takato to go instead," said Drew.

"That's a lot of lies you've told, Drew." May said.

"I don't think that's necessarily a bad thing." Drew shrugged his shoulders. "I never got caught when I told any of these lies, which only proves that I've outsmarted everybody in the game."

Takuya scoffed in ridicule.

"Anyway, the fourth lie I've told is to JP. We addressed this earlier in the night, so I'm not going to elaborate on it," said Drew.

From the jury, JP had his arms folded defensively across his chest. He did not look impressed.

"And the fifth lie I've told is to TK, because I didn't stick by the Huntail alliance like I'm supposed to." Drew explained, "The truth is I never intended to stay loyal to Huntail. Most of you would've beaten me at the final vote just based on likeability. I would've never stood a chance."

May nodded her head in acknowledgement. When Drew had nothing else to add to his list, she turned towards Takuya with a friendly smile.

"Your turn, Takuya." May said.

"Well, I've only really told two big lies in this game." Takuya replied, "I've lied to you and Takato at the merge. I promised that I'll vote out Cassidy with you two, but I already made a deal with Huntail that I'll vote Takato out. So...I ended up putting myself in a tough dilemma."

"And what is the other lie?" May asked.

"At the Final Five, I faked an argument with James so that you wouldn't suspect we were working together." Takuya said, shrugging his shoulders. "It backfired on us, but I guess a failed lie is still a lie."

This revelation surprised some of the jurors. They turned to each other and began mumbling in discussion.

"Yeah, that's it. I'm actually a pretty honest guy." Takuya paused as a wry grin spread across his face. "I mean, I'm not a compulsive liar like Drew!"

Satisfied with the answers provided, May thanked the two finalists for her time and returned to her seat.

- - -

Drew did not know what to expect from TK Takaishi, the fifth juror of the night. He was usually a pleasant young man, but Drew was dubious about the blonde's reaction after being backstabbed by the Pokemon Coordinator a few days ago. Fortunately, it was evident that TK bore no harsh feelings when he began speaking in his usual friendly manner. Drew detected no signs of vindictiveness in his chipper voice.

"Congratulations for playing a great game," said TK. He paused to survey the two men's faces. "Believe it or not, but I haven't made up my mind about tonight. I think both of you deserve to win, and that's why I asked the professor if I can give both of you a million dollars. Unfortunately, he said no."

"Sorry, guys." Professor Birch grinned.

Takuya and Drew chuckled at the tiny playful joke, which made the handsome blonde smile in satisfaction. TK had felt that the atmosphere at tribal council had been too serious and disheartening, so he was pleased that the two finalists were finally loosening up.

"I want the two of you to compare yourself and your opponent with a pair of similar objects or animals. Then, explain your choices." TK said. When Drew and Takuya exchanged blank expressions with each other, TK decided to elaborate on his instructions. "I'll give you an example. Takuya is like a lion because he's brave, fierce and extremely loyal to his friends. Drew is like a cougar because he's quick, cutthroat and indulges in an immense amount of power."

TK paused as he grinned at the two men.

"Do you guys understand?" TK asked.

"Oh yeah, this should be fun!" Takuya laughed. He tapped his index finger on his chin. "Hmm...let's see now. Drew is like a glass of water...because he's tasteless and transparent." He paused, ignoring the grumbling heard from his competitor Drew. "And I'm like a cup of coffee. I'm full of energy and...uh, a few people might think I'm bitter, but most will agree that I'm quite sweet."

"Okay. Drew?" TK gestured his hands towards the Pokemon Coordinator.

"Takuya is like a snowflake because he's flaky and harmless." Drew said with a malicious smirk. "And I'm like a streak of lightning, because I'm dangerous and I attack in a flash."

"Thanks for the creative answers." TK laughed. He nodded his head a few times before he began his walk back to the jury bench. "Take it easy, you guys. I wish both of you the best of luck!"

- - -

James was the next person to approach the two finalists, and Takuya watched him with an apprehensive gaze. The Team Rocket member was the one juror who Takuya felt most wary about. After all, he voted James out at the last tribal council. He was the culprit who prevented James from making it to the Final Two, possibly winning the one million dollars. Takuya justified his actions due to strategic reasons, but it would be difficult for James to understand. And Takuya did not know the Team Rocket member well enough to determine if he was a forgiving person or not.

Takuya hoped that he was.

"I think Drew and Takuya are similar in many ways. You're both competitive and you're both driven to win." James said, flashing a weak and unenthusiastic smile to the two finalists. "Drew, Takuya...do you think you should win because you're the best player? Or should you win because you're the most deserving? And why?"

"The criteria you should judge us on needs to be based on who played the best game," replied Drew. He gave a long pause to collect his thoughts. "It shouldn't be a test of who played the hardest, or who played with the most determination, or who played with the most obstacles to overcome. The title of Sole Survivor should be given to the person who simply played the best game. And I believe that's me."

"I disagree. I don't think Drew played the best game." Takuya said.

"I had the best strategy," argued Drew.

"That might be true, but I don't think you played the best game _overall_. Survivor...is not just about strategy." Takuya made a face. He stuck his tongue out as he spoke. "You can't come here and vote for the person who had the best strategy. That's such a _textbook _decision!"

Takuya tapped his foot impatiently on the ground.

"You need to take account of the circumstances around that strategy. A strategy that worked for Drew doesn't mean it'd work well for me," said Takuya. He glanced at James, who remained emotionless. "And I mean...Drew had it easy. He was on the winning tribe, he had a majority alliance, and quite frankly, he didn't have to do shit to get to the Final Two."

"And that's because I played the best game," said Drew.

"I busted my ass to get to where I am today! And I'm the most deserving to win because I played the best game!" Takuya exclaimed.

"You worked hard, but that doesn't mean you played the best game." Drew shrugged his shoulders in dismissal.

Before Takuya could open his mouth to fire an angry rebut, James suddenly interrupted him. He flashed a weak smile at the finalists.

"That's all I'm looking for." James said, bowing slightly to the two men. "Thanks for your time."

- - -

Cassidy was the final juror to address the two finalists. She took two steps forward before she stopped, and a crooked smirk splattered across her jagged face.

"I came here with a question in mind, but there's no need for it anymore." Cassidy said, her voice beaming with confidence. "I've already made up my mind. I only have a few comments to make."

She took a few more steps forward, bringing herself closer to the two men.

"Drew, you did not answer honestly to May. You forgot to mention that you also lied to _me_. You never told me that you were the one who masterminded Butch's departure, you lying bastard! All this time, I thought it was the work of Brock and his little gang." Cassidy made an annoyed clicking sound with her tongue. "You're lucky that you didn't blindside me, boy. Or I would've ripped you a new asshole!"

Drew smirked, but did not say anything to provoke Cassidy.

"And Takuya, oh dear Takuya...I felt like playing a violin for you whenever you spoke tonight! Do you really see yourself as an underdog? Because let's face it...you're more like a pile of dog shit!" Cassidy let out a malicious snicker. "I don't give a damn if you fought through four world wars and a sissy little tantrum, the fact remains – you played a horrible game!"

Takuya's nostrils flared angrily.

"Here's the bottom line, both of you are selfish and egoistical little bitches. In fact, I think Drew's a bigger bitch than Takuya and I combined!" Cassidy laughed in a shrill voice. "But I'll give props where they're due. Drew, you played a great game and I have to respect you for it. I've watched you at every tribal council and damn, you know what you're doing! While everyone is fumbling around in paranoia, I see you sitting pretty with that smug smirk on your face. You're the undisputed mastermind of this game."

Cassidy folded her arms across her chest. She suddenly turned around to address the six jurors.

"My fellow jury members, I ask that you vote as I do – for Drew, the rightful winner of this game. If that scumbag Takuya won the game, there would be a great injustice committed in this tribal council. He created too many mistakes, made too many enemies, and conducted too many inconsistencies to his strategy. It's clear to me that Takuya Kanbara had no idea what he was doing in this game. In fact, I think he only knew how to drool over that whore of a girlfriend..."

"Go to hell, Cassidy!" Takuya shouted, leaping up from his seat. Drew held him down, albeit the Pokemon Coordinator was only doing it to gain brownie points from the jury.

Cassidy smirked in response. She knew that would incite an angry and mindless response from Takuya. She had been waiting for this moment since she was voted out. This was her last chance to sabotage Takuya in front of the jury. He had ruined her game before, and now she was doing exactly the same thing to his.

"Anyway, I'm done here." Cassidy shrugged her shoulders. "Don't sweat it, Drew. You and I both know that you've already won this game."

- - -

A ghastly silence filled the tribal council set for a while after Cassidy stated her case. Professor Birch took a deep breath. He was still recovering from the blazing tension in the atmosphere – and he was just a spectator! He glanced over at the real victims of this process, Drew and Takuya, both men looked worn out and in Takuya's case, he was fuming. But the game was not over yet. The two finalists still had to make their closing statements, and the seven jurors still had to cast their votes.

The end was near, but the game was far from over.

"Takuya and Drew, the jury has spoken, but you get the last word." Professor Birch smiled sympathetically at the two men. "Here's your final chance to convince them why you deserve the million dollars." He paused and shifted his gaze towards the green-haired Pokemon Coordinator. "Drew, we'll start with you."

Drew stood up from his seat. Once again, he found himself facing an unresponsive jury. Their expressions were blank. Not one person was smiling at him. Drew did not know if he should interpret this as a good or bad sign. Nonetheless, he began speaking.

"Let me begin by saying that I'm thankful to be here. Believe it or not, I do feel humbled by this amazing experience. Like all of you, I had my highs and my lows in this game. But I must reiterate one thing – I have no regrets. I do not regret the lies I have told, I do not regret the betrayals I have committed, and I do not regret the votes I have cast. I played the game the way it is meant to be played. Yes, I might have ruffled some feathers and yes, I might have hurt some feelings. But I believe you have to be ruthless and manipulative in order to win this game. That's what I did and I hope you'll respect my strategy. As I conclude, I ask you once again to put aside your bias and keep an open mind. I did play the best game, whether you like it or not."

Drew finished his closing statement with a polite smile at the jury. Once again, they showed no response, although James seemed to have a pensive expression on his face. But it didn't matter at this point. The game was entirely out of Drew's hands.

Takuya stood up next, looking less confident than he felt at the beginning of tribal council. Cassidy's personal attack unnerved him, but he made a surprising recovery considering the circumstances. He surveyed the jury of seven with a watchful eye. They were waiting for him to speak.

"Alright, this is it! The moment we've all be waiting for. I don't have a lot to add, so I guess I'll finish off by addressing each of you personally...with an apology, because I sure as hell have a lot to apologize! Cassidy, I'm sorry that you have so much hatred pent up inside yourself. JP, I'm sorry that I wasn't a good enough friend. Casey, I'm sorry that I hid the reward from Gorebyss. Rika, I'm sorry that you aren't sitting next to me tonight. May, I'm sorry that I voted out Takato. TK, I'm sorry that I injured your leg. And James, I'm sorry that I'm a coward and I didn't have the courage to face you in the Final Two."

He paused, flashing a sincere smile at the jury of seven.

"In conclusion, I apologize to you for all the wrongs I've committed in this game. And now, I hope you'll be the bigger person and forgive me."

Takuya sat down and sighed in relief. Now that his speech was over, his gaze evaded making any contact with the jurors. He did not want to know what they thought of him. He was just glad that this process was finally over.

"It's time for the final vote." Professor Birch said, clapping his hands together once. He turned to the seven jurors with a stern expression. "Jury, you must now decide which player deserves the one million dollars and the rightful title of _Sole Survivor_. Let me remind you that you're casting a vote _for _the winner tonight. You're writing the name of the person you want to see win this game."

Professor Birch paused as a few jurors nodded their heads in understanding.

"Okay, it's time to vote." Professor Birch announced, "Cassidy, you're up first."

The feisty Team Rocket member smirked and got out of her seat. She walked with a confident and noticeable stride as she crossed the bridge to arrive at the voting booth. She stared at the ink marker and the piece of parchment with a sense of familiarity emerging from her memory. It had been a long time since Cassidy last cast a vote, but she knew exactly what she was doing.

Cassidy wrote down four letters on her parchment. She held up her vote in front of the cameras, proudly presenting the name "Drew".

"There was no question in my mind that you deserve my vote tonight. Then again, anybody could have substituted your spot, and I still wouldn't have voted for Takuya. If that trashy, obnoxious, abrasive, brainless, and utterly despicable scumbag is the winner of this game, I'd rather _gag _myself, thank you very much."

She made a face as she folded her vote in half. She dumped it into the voting urn.

"But I'm glad you're the guy sitting next to Takuya tonight, because you do deserve it, Drew. You played all these suckers like the puppets that they are. I kept sitting on the jury, wondering if you can pull it off. You did, and it was quite a spectacle! They try to vote you out, but they never succeeded. That's because you're invincible, Drew. And that's why you're the Sole Survivor."

JP Shibayama was the second person to vote. Staring grimly at the blank parchment below him, the chubby Frontier gave a dramatic sigh. He hated doing this, he really did. After contemplating between the two names in his head, JP finally wrote down four letters on the parchment. He voted for Drew.

As he presented the parchment to the cameras, JP found himself at a loss of words. Thirty nine days ago, this vote would have undoubtedly read Takuya's name on it. After all, Takuya was supposed to be his lifelong friend. But all it took was one heartbreaking betrayal from Takuya, and it was enough for JP to declare the friendship between them officially over. Unfortunately, JP Shibayama was not a forgiving man. And as much as he tried to gather all the goodness in his heart, he could not find the inner strength to forgive Takuya.

"Dude, this hurts. Takuya, believe me...this hurts me more than it hurts you." JP sighed. He gave a short pause as he hanged his head in grief. "But you were supposed to be my _friend_, Takuya. And true friends don't screw over each other for some chick. Not only that, but voting me out also handicapped you for the rest of the game. It wasn't even a _smart _move, because I would've looked out for you, but you screwed me over first. Big mistake."

He shook his head rapidly, almost as if he was trying to erase the thought from his head.

"Worst of all, it was _me _who saved you from getting voted out! If it wasn't for me, you wouldn't even be here in the first place! So Takuya, I give you life in this game, and now I take it away from you."

JP sighed again. He dumped the vote angrily into the urn. He looked at the cameras again with a reluctant smile.

"Drew, congratulations...you win my vote. You betrayed me too, but at least you had a legitimate reason for doing so. I must admit, I did screw you over first...so the sting doesn't hurt that bad. It's an eye for an eye, I guess. Hey, I always knew you were a smart guy, so I can't fault you for outsmarting me first. Good job, dude."

After the Frontier, Casey went to cast her ballot. She returned to her seat with a giddy little smile on her face.

Rika was the next person to arrive at the voting booth. She wore a thin, wry smile as she wrote down Takuya's name on the parchment. She did not feel obliged to cast this vote out of loyalty, but rather the defiant Rika was not about to let this tribal council become a one-sided affair. Cassidy could bark out senseless orders all she wanted, but Rika would always be a rebel at heart.

"Goggle-head, I didn't think you could do it after I left. But you went ahead and won all those immunity challenges. Now, I see you in the Final Two with a solid chance of winning. I don't know how you do it, but you're full of surprises."

The smile on her face evolved into a genuine grin.

"Takuya, I want you to win. And when you do, I want you to take this vote and shove it up Cassidy's ass."

Rika laughed as she placed her folded piece of parchment inside the voting urn. _That _felt good.

The fifth person to vote tonight was May. She flashed a quick smile at the cameras before she picked up the marker and wrote down a name on the parchment. When she held it up in front of the cameras, she revealed that she had cast the second vote for Takuya tonight.

"I'm voting for Takuya because he is a true _survivor_. You...you have to be one of the toughest guys I've ever met in my life. I can't think of a stage in the game when the odds weren't stacked against your favour, yet you managed to overcome all those obstacles and rise to the top."

She grinned as she folded her parchment in half. She placed the vote inside the urn.

"I know how it feels to be an underdog. I know how it feels to have the whole tribe against you, because I've been there before. And to see you sitting out there tonight with that big goofy grin on your face, it makes me want to smile as well...because I admire you, Takuya. I admire you and your story of the underdog who fought many battles and won the war."

The sixth vote came from TK Takaishi, a passionate fan of the game. He had been so impressed by a certain finalist's performance that it persuaded him to vote for this person. He returned to his seat, flashing a pleasant smile at both Drew and Takuya, hoping one of them would catch his hidden message.

At last, James cast the seventh and final vote of the night. The Team Rocket member wore an apologetic expression as he wrote down a name on the parchment. He felt guilty because he was defying what Drew had told the jurors to do at the beginning of tonight. When casting this vote, James had not separated his emotions from his logic, but he did not care. The person who James thought played the best game was not the same person who James wanted to win the most. And in the end, James' heart conquered over his brain and logic.

When the final juror returned from voting, Professor Birch went to retrieve the votes. He came back a few minutes later with the voting urn. Everybody stared at him in anticipation.

"Sorry to keep you waiting." Professor Birch said, smiling at the two finalists. "But you're going have to wait a little longer."

Takuya dropped his head into his knees and laughed. A smiling Drew just shook his head in disappointment.

"I'll not be reading the votes tonight, so the pressure is off for now." Professor Birch grinned. He shifted his body so that he now faced the jury as well. "It has been a tough game for all of us. Let us pat ourselves on the back and enjoy a well-earned break. We'll find out who is the Sole Survivor a little later on."

After the professor made his announcement, the seven jurors got up and approached the two finalists with congratulatory handshakes and hugs. The sombre atmosphere was replaced by a more celebratory one. A night of intense drama had faded away. Only the ten attendees knew what happened on this tribal council night.

- - -

Months later, the entire cast was gathered inside a television studio in front of a live audience. The audience consisted of their friends and families, as well as a small number of passionate viewers who purchased tickets to watch this Survivor finale take place. Everybody was an avid fan of the show who watched all of the episodes, yet none of them knew the outcome of the game.

Except one person.

Professor Birch arrived at the television studio, holding the voting urn in his hands. The audience erupted in cheers.

"Welcome back. It's nice to see everyone again." Professor Birch said, smiling at nobody in particular. He then focused his gaze on the two finalists, who were sitting across from where the professor stood. "Takuya and Drew, you both look great."

"It's amazing what a few extra pounds can do for your image!" Takuya laughed.

"Let's cut to the chase. I have the votes with me." Professor Birch said. He was forced to pause when the audience suddenly erupted in cheers again. Once they calmed down, the professor was able to continue his sentence, "Before I reveal the votes, does anyone have anything to say? Speak now or forever hold your peace."

"Actually, I do!" JP raised his arm in the air. Everybody turned their attention towards the chubby Frontier, who was sitting on the bleachers with the rest of the jurors. "Having watched all of the episodes, I'd like to _retract _my vote for Drew. I don't want that guy to win anymore."

"You realize that has no effect on the final outcome, right?" Professor Birch asked with uncertainty.

"Yeah, I know what's done is done. But I just want everybody to know...if I can cast my vote _now_, I'd vote for Takuya to win the game." JP shrugged his shoulders.

His statement was met with approving applause from the audience. Professor Birch had to wait once again for the crowd to settle down.

"We'll keep that in mind, JP." Professor Birch smiled. He turned towards the two finalists. "Takuya and Drew, are you feeling nervous?"

"Yeah, a little! How can we not be?" Takuya grinned. He pumped his fist in the air with enthusiasm.

"How confident are you about your chances of winning?" Professor Birch asked.

"I don't know. It's fifty-fifty." Drew exchanged a quick glance with Takuya. The Pokemon Coordinator then smiled faintly at the professor. "We'll find out now, right?"

"Alright. It's time." Professor Birch grinned. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation before he put his hand inside the voting urn. "Just to be clear, the jury has cast their votes for the winner. So, you _want _to see your name on the ballots tonight. With that said...let's read the votes."

Professor Birch pulled out the first parchment from the urn. He unfolded the vote and turned it over.

"Takuya," read Professor Birch.

The audience began clapping in applause. Takuya flashed them a quick appreciative smile before he turned to face Rika and grinned at her. That was her vote. He recognized her thin and scratchy handwriting.

The professor put his hand inside the urn and brought out a second parchment. He turned it over.

"Drew." Professor Birch announced.

Drew nodded his head, smiling humbly at the sight of his name on the parchment. He knew this vote came from Cassidy.

Professor Birch took out the third vote from the urn. He gave a long dramatic pause before he flipped the parchment over.

"Drew." Professor Birch said with an impish smile. "That's two votes for Drew, and one vote for Takuya. It takes four votes to win."

This vote belonged to JP. The chubby Frontier smiled awkwardly as he recognized his handwriting on the parchment. He looked somewhat embarrassed and remorseful to have cast this vote for Drew. Having watched the episodes at home, JP was shocked at the vulgarity of Drew's confessionals. The harsh insults and snide remarks rolled off his tongue like a fluent language. This was particularly prominent when Drew was ripping JP into pieces in his confessionals. And it was then JP finally saw Drew for the cruel and callous person that he was. It might be too late to have a change of heart, but JP now found himself rooting for Takuya to win instead.

He only hoped that his vote would not affect Takuya's chances in any way.

"The fourth vote..." Professor Birch said as he dragged out another piece of parchment from the urn. He unfolded the vote and turned it over. "Drew."

Drew looked delighted and a little surprised to receive a third vote. He looked over at the jurors and eventually met with Casey's gaze. This was her vote. Unsurprisingly, the petite baseball fan had followed Cassidy's orders and voted for Drew to win. In the end, Casey determined that Drew was the lesser of two evils – the person who had wronged her least. After all, a vote for Drew was a vote against Takuya.

And that thought made Casey happy.

"We now have three votes for Drew and only one for Takuya." Professor Birch said. He took a deep breath before he pulled out another parchment from the urn. "The fifth vote..."

He unfolded the vote and flipped it over.

"Takuya." Professor Birch declared.

Takuya looked grateful at the vote. He glanced over at May and mouthed the word "thank you" to the Pokemon Coordinator. She nodded in acknowledgement and smiled sweetly at him in return.

"Three votes for Drew and two votes for Takuya," said Professor Birch. He reached his hand inside the urn and pulled out the sixth parchment. He unfolded it and took a brief glance at the name.

The grin on his face widened.

He looked up at the two finalists, both of them grinning nervously at the results. Professor Birch thought about tempting them with another long dramatic pause, but he decided to make this revelation quick.

"The winner of Survivor: Dewford Islands..." Professor Birch announced as he flipped over the vote, "Drew!"

It took a few seconds before Drew registered the four familiar letters on the parchment, displaying his name in all its glory. It was his name. It was him. He was the winner.

He was the Sole Survivor.

The announcement was followed by a polite round of applause from the audience. It didn't sound as thunderous as expected, but Drew was so caught up in the moment that he didn't mind the minimal response. All that mattered to him now was his victory. He won. He won!

Drew turned his head towards the jury, searching for the jurors he had to thank. Cassidy, JP and Casey had all voted for him, but the fourth vote Drew received came from TK Takaishi. The blonde had been so impressed with Drew's calm and composed performance at tribal council that it convinced TK to vote for Drew as the winner. A fellow Huntail member for the victory, just as TK had hoped for.

And then, there was James. Drew shifted his gaze towards the Team Rocket member and read his expression. It was only now he caught the small dainty smile on James' face that he never caught before. James had voted for him too. It was James who gave Drew the fifth vote, cementing Drew's victory in place. His decision had been a surprise to everybody, most of all James himself. Because while James had been friends with Takuya, and while James genuinely believed Takuya played the best _and _most deserving game, it was Drew who James ultimately wanted to see win. Perhaps he was biased, but he wanted his first ally in Huntail and his Final Two partner take home the win. James might not be in the Final Two, but at least he could award his partner in crime with the victory.

"The winner is Drew! The one man who pulled the strings, the one man who masterminded the strategies, and the one man with an ego as tall as a mountain," declared Professor Birch with a wide cheeky smile. "Congratulations Drew on a game well played! And to Takuya, for being a worthy runner-up!"

Drew nodded his head eagerly as he turned over to Takuya. He grabbed Takuya's hand for a handshake, which soon evolved into a friendly and genuine hug. While the two of them might not have met eye to eye, Drew and Takuya acknowledged each other as serious competitors. They had both competed against each other in the journey of a lifetime. And now it was over.

Takuya Kanbara lost, taking home the respectable title of runner-up. He had fought hard and painful to reach the position he stood now, but the jury just didn't respect his game enough. Takuya had made one too many enemies, one too many arguments, and one too many mistakes. In the end, the flaws accumulated in his game, making it impossible for the jurors to award him with the win. His journey as an underdog was an admirable one, but Takuya was destined to lose.

Soon, the players gathered around Drew in a circle, chattering, laughing, and praising the Pokemon Coordinator for a game well played. Drew found himself speechless, for he was overwhelmed by the results. It didn't hit him that he won one million dollars until Professor Birch approached him, pulling out a cheque from his laboratory jacket. His hard work in the game had transformed into reality.

And the reality for Drew came with six zeroes attached.

Thus, Drew won the game in a vote of 5-2. Not only was he the winner of Survivor: Dewford Islands, but he was also the mastermind, the millionaire, and most importantly...

He was the Sole Survivor.

- - -

**Author's Notes:** After a year of hard work, the story is finally finished! Thank you to all the readers and reviewers for devoting your time to the story. Any comments you leave behind are much appreciated! Please remember to take the survey - the last and final one - to summarize your final thoughts on the overall story! And if you want any more news on future projects, make sure you check my website. Anyway, thank you! 


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